Angel's Heart
by Linkite
Summary: Spoilers The tale of Kratos and Anna. Please R&R! Rated mostly for language
1. Angel's Meeting

**A/N: **I am suffering insane writer's block with my other stories so I'm giving up on them for a little while and working on this. I've wanted to write a Kranna fanfic for a while. So here it is, enjoy!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Tales of Symphonia (ha ha, I forgot this so I had to load the fic all over again…)

**Angel's Meeting**

The girl raced through the undergrowth panting heavily and praying she could outrun her pursuers. The men were advancing on her and things didn't look good. She clutched at a dagger she'd managed to steal from the base. It looked like she might have to use it. She had no idea how many men were after her. All she knew was that they outnumbered her and were all highly trained with their weapons.

Kratos swore furiously. That was it. He couldn't work for him anymore. Not after that. An age of lifeless beings? Yuan was right. He was beyond insane and they couldn't work for him forever. He stormed down the road dressed in a purple traveling outfit and a green and white protozoan at his heels. His transparent, aqua wings flutterred angrily behind. He came to a fork in the road. One path led to Lake Umacy, the other to Luin. Without much contemplation Kratos took the path to Luin.

Having to sacrifice a chosen was bad enough, but this. _This is insanity, _Kratos thought bitterly. He continued to fume inwardly at the boy until the protozoan stopped abruptly, and turned his head to nearby grove of trees.

"What is it, Noishe?" Kratos asked turning to look at the dog-like creature. Suddenly a bloodcurdling scream emitted from the grove. Without thinking Kratos darted towards the sound leaving Noishe to catch up with him.

He burst into a clearing to find a Desian clutching a girl's wrist. Many other Desians were surrounding the clearing. All stopped and stared at Kratos. _Damn,_ he thought. He'd forgotten to put away his wings, but there was no time to do so now. Some of the Desians were recovering from their shock and were advancing on him.

Kratos drew his sword and lunged at his attackers. The first Desian fell with a scream of pain. He took care of the second and third before they had time to move. The others fell just as quickly. Finally the only one left was the Desian that held the girl prisoner. Kratos fell him with the same ease as his companions and sheathed his sword.

"Are you okay?" He asked the girl with a slight flutter of his wings.

"Holy Martel," She breathed in reply before falling into a dead faint. Catching her, he lowered her gently to the ground, shooting a bitter look at his wings. He withdrew them, examining the girl he'd just rescued. She wore the plain brown dress of the human ranch prisoners and appeared malnutritioned. Cuts and bruises spotted her arms and legs. Upon her chest he noticed a blue gem glittering in the sunlight.

"An exsphere," he murmured as Noishe cantered through the woods from direction Kratos had come. He approached Kratos and the girl.

"So you finally decided to show up," he joked scratching the protozoan behind his large ears. Noishe wandered over to the girl and began licking her face in attempts to rouse her.

"She won't wake up that way," he told the protozoan with some amusement in his voice, "We'd best get her to a proper healer. I won't be able to do much for her and Luin's not far." Noishe yapped in agreement and headed towards the town. Kratos sighed lifting the girl into his arms and followed the dog-like creature.

He looked down at the girl's face. Her long dark brown hair draped itself around her face. Her skin was pale and dusted with a few freckles. Her nose was slightly long and her lips were a pale red. _She's not extraordinarily pretty, but she's not bad looking, a bit plain maybe, _Kratos found himself thinking.

The walk to Luin was short, but the problem arose when Kratos realized he'd have to find a healer who didn't work for the church of Martel. After his performance in front of Mithos when told about the age of lifeless beings Mithos would surely have sent all of Cruxis to look for him. And the first place his men would be sent was every church on Sylvarant. He carried the girl into the inn, Noishe waited outside.

"Excuse me," he said to the receptionist, "do you have any independent healers here?"

"Yes sir, there's a half-elf who lives on the other side of town who runs his own business. Would you like me to draw you a map?" replied the receptionist, taking in Kratos and the girl he was carrying.

"That'd be fine, thanks," he said as the receptionist began drawing a crude map on a scrap piece of paper.

"Here you go, sir," she said handing Kratos the map. He took the map with some difficulty, thanked the receptionist and exited the inn. He turned to Noishe who was sitting by the door.

"Do you think you could carry her to the healer?" Kratos asked the protozoan. Noishe barked happily rising so the girl could be given to him. After some adjusting Kratos finally managed to balance her. He pulled out the map keeping one hand on the girl's back so as she didn't fall off.

The healer was indeed on the other side of town. After much searching and wandering up streets and alleyways he finally found a building bearing a wooden sign hanging above the doorway proclaiming it to be 'Heimdall: Independent Healers' The sign struck him as odd, but it look like he didn't have much of a choice. He pocketed the map then gently lifted the girl from the protozoan's back and carried her into the building.

They were greeted by a young man. He couldn't have been older than twenty-seven. He wore plain brown pants and a white shirt that was covered by a green vest. His hair was a bubblegum pink and he looked more elf than half-elf.

"Welcome, I'm Alden, how might I be of service?" He inquired politely.

"I think that'd be obvious," Kratos said coolly gesturing to the girl.

"Yes, sorry, sometimes manners conflict with common sense. Well anyway follow me and we'll take her upstairs," the half-elf said with some embarrassment. Kratos followed Alden to an empty room. In the middle stood a bed adorned with green sheets and pillows. The same earthy color was used for the walls and curtains. The rug that covered most of the floor was a green and beige pattern. A matching sofa stood opposite the bed and a chair rested next to the bed. A set of French doors opened onto a small balcony that overlooked the streets. A brick fireplace rested on the southern wall and a small table scattered with potions was erected near the bed.

Alden gestured to the bed and began rummaging through potions. Kratos laid the girl on top of the blankets then retreated to the sofa while the half-elf worked.

"So," Kratos began making a stab at conversation, "Heimdall, that's an unusual name. Is it a family name?" Alden shook his head.

"No, my father is an elf and when I was a child he used to tell me stories about a city of elves that existed during the Kharlan War."

"I see." There was once again silence between them. After another fifteen minutes of so Alden broke the silence.

"She'll be fine now. She just needs to rest now."

"That's good to hear," Kratos replied not really sure what else to say.

"I never asked for her name, nor yours for that matter."

"I'm sorry, I'm Kratos, and to be honest I don't know the girl's name either. She passed out before I had the chance to ask."

"Holy Martel. What happened?"

"She was being pursued. I rescued her and then she fainted, exhaustion, I think," Kratos retold simply.

"I see, Desians?"

"Yes."

"Bastards," Alden muttered, "do you know how many people they take to those Martel forsaken ranches?"

"Too many," Kratos replied. He felt slightly guilty for Mithos's irresponsible actions.

"Yes, well nothing we can do about it 'til the next Chosen is born."

"I suppose," Kratos said, the feeling of guilt intensifying.

"Yes, well, your err... dog is outside," He said trying to find a word for Noishe, "Shall I let him in?"

"Yes, please," Kratos muttered. Noishe was let into the room and bounded to Kratos's side and lay down on the floor beside him.

"Let me know if you need anything. I'll be downstairs finishing some work," Alden informed him. Kratos nodded in reply settling himself more comfortably on the sofa.

Hours passed with Kratos dozing on the couch keeping half an eye on the unconscious girl. It was very late, long past midnight. Alden had gone to bed hours before when finally the girl stirred. Kratos brought himself to full awareness watching the girl with interest as she rubbed her eyes and yawned. She sat up in bed looking around the room.

_Where on Sylvarant am I? _she thought trying to remember how she'd gotten there. Her eyes rested on Kratos and a large-eared animal at his feet. She gasped. It was the man from earlier. _But it can't be, that man had wings... _She was startled slightly when he spoke.

"How are you feeling?" he asked in the same voice the winged man had used. _Maybe I imagined the wings... _

"N-not bad..." she said nervously, "How did I get here? Who are you?"

"I am Kratos, as to how you got here you were being chased by Desians. I rescued you and then you passed out. Perhaps from exhaustion? Nonetheless I carried you here," he repeated his story.

"Yes perhaps," she said softly leaning back against the pillows. After some moments of deep thought she asked slowly, "Where exactly is 'here'?"

"Heimdall: Independent Healers in..."

"We're in Luin!" exclaimed the girl cutting him off.

"Yes, you are familiar with the town?"

"Familiar? I grew up here!" she exclaimed excitedly grinning broadly, her eyes dancing. Kratos was slightly taken aback. All of a sudden this plain girl had become very stunning. Her dazzling green eyes were nearly enough to make him want to smile with her.

"I see, well miss, I suggest you get some sleep and we can talk things over in the morning."

"Anna," she told him firmly, "my name is Anna."

"All right, Anna, I apologize, but I'm going to have to sleep in here. You don't mind do you?"

"Not at all."

"Well then, good night."

The next morning Kratos rose to find Anna wasn't in bed; however, on closer inspection he found her leaning on the balcony railing staring dreamily out at the city.

"Good morning," he greeted her so as not to startle her as he approached from behind.

"Good morning," she returned, turning to smile at him. Kratos felt slightly awkward. He hadn't had a conversation with a woman in years.

"I take it you had a good sleep?"

"Yes, thank you," she replied turning back to gaze upon the town. Kratos didn't know what to say next. He wanted to inquire about her business with the Desians, but felt that might be a bit tactless. They stood in silence for a few moments before Anna said quietly, "I should probably thank you for saving me. If it wasn't for you I'd probably be dead right now."

"Don't worry about it. It was nothing." -another pause- "So, where are you headed to now?"

"Well, my original plan was to head to Luin, So now that you've already brought me here I'd quite like to find out what's become of my parents..."

"Not like that you're not," Kratos informed her, gesturing to her prisoner's attire, "if the Desians are still looking for you you'll stick out like a sore thumb, and I can't imagine those being comfortable. So as soon as Alden gives you the okay to leave we'll go buy you some traveling clothes."

"Alden?"

"Yes, the healer. I don't suppose you've had anything to eat."

"No, I am quite hungry," she admitted.

Kratos had never seen anyone eat like Anna did that breakfast. He and Alden watched as she downed third and fourth helpings. _Poor girl, _Kratos thought. Alden chuckled, "If you keep eating like that you'll be back to full health in no time." Anna gave an apologetic grin and continued with her meal.

"Alden, I don't suppose you would mind if we stayed here another night or so? It's just that I'm sure the inns will be one of the first places they look for her if they intend on recapturing her."

"Of course you can stay," Alden said wrenching his gaze from Anna.

"Thank you, now Anna, when you've finished I suggest we go shopping for new clothes for you."

"Yes, but unfortunately I don't have any money," Anna said quietly.

"That's not a problem, I've got plenty of gald. You can just pay me back as soon as you get some money."

"I'm sorry for all of this trouble," Anna said placing her knife and fork on her plate.

"Really it's no trouble," he told her. Anna stood and turned to Alden saying politely, "Please excuse me for a minute," Then to Kratos, "I'm going to clean myself up a bit then I'll be right down." Kratos watched her leave then handed a bag of gald to Alden.

"There's your payment for last night and tonight, if she or I decide to stay longer I'll pay you then. Please don't tell Anna I'm doing this."

"Don't worry," Alden assured him taking the bag of money, "I won't."

Anna entered the room just moments after the gald disappeared into Alden's pocket. Kratos stared at her. Shed braided her hair, letting the plait hang over her left shoulder.

"Was that really necessary?" He asked trying to hide the fact that he thought she looked very nice.

"Yes, it was," she said defiantly, "When I lived here I always wore my hair braided. I'll have a better chance of people recognizing me if I do this."

"I see, well, let's get going. Alden, we'll see you later." Alden nodded then disappeared into his study.

Kratos and Anna stepped out into the streets of Luin with Noishe at their heels, trying to ignore the whispers and stares of passers by. _What an odd group we must seem, _Kratos thought, _A girl in a human ranch uniform, a protozoan, and me._

Anna led the way to a shop she knew well. It was of average size and the inscription 'Carol's Travel Gear' could be read on a plaque by the door.

"Carol's? This used to be June's," Anna murmured, "I guess a lot can change in seven years."

"Seven years?" Kratos asked in a somewhat startled voice.

"Yes, I was eighteen when I was taken to the ranch," she told him sadly.

"I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault," she sighed pushing open the door. Kratos entered behind her leaving Noishe outside. Anna approached the counter.

"Excuse me, I'd like to purchase one of your outfits," she informed the plump blonde woman behind the counter.

"Of course, right this way," she led Anna behind the counter and through a door way then glancing back at Kratos, inquired, "Can I help you, sir?"

"Um, no I'm with her."

"Very well then," she bustled off into the room after Anna.

After several minutes Anna and the shop attendant returned. Anna was looking especially pretty in a long brown peasant skirt, a half-length sleeve shirt, and a pair of shin length traveling boots that disappeared under the skirt.

"You look, err, nice," Kratos said uncomfortably.

"Thanks," she replied blushing slightly.

They paid for the clothes and left the store, Anna smiling broadly. They strolled up and down the streets, Anna pointing out places she remembered.

"And that's the bakery that burned down years ago, I see they've rebuilt it," Anna informed him pointing to a new looking building then continued, "and that's..." She was cut off by a shout from the crowd.

"Kratos!" the voice called out. Kratos turned to see a blue haired half-elf approaching him.

"Kratos! Thank the gods I found you first!"

"Yuan? What are you talking about?"

"Mithos, he's really upset. He..." Yuan broke off seeing Anna, "And exactly who the Hell is she?"

"This is Anna... my friend," Kratos told him giving Anna an apologetic look. Yuan raised his eyebrows.

"Really?" he asked skeptically, "Well, I'm pleased to meet you, Anna." He kissed her hand causing Anna to blush. She looked confusedly from Yuan to Kratos.

"This is Yuan, an old friend of mine," Kratos explained.

"I see..."

"Now Yuan, what were you going to say?" Yuan looked around cautiously

"It might not be safe to talk here. Do you know any where we could talk privately?"

"I'm sure Alden wouldn't mind, I'm sorry, Anna, but it I think it'd be best to finish our tour tomorrow."

"Oh, well that's okay..." The two men started off in the direction of Alden's place, Anna at their heels and Noishe trotting happily beside Yuan. Anna listened quietly as Kratos and Yuan flamed the irrational ideas of someone named 'Mithos'. She didn't really understand what they were talking about, but it made her feel uneasy.

They entered Heimdall: Independent Healers. Alden was sitting behind a desk filling out some sort of form. He looked up to greet his guests.

"I'm really sorry Alden, but we're going to have to borrow one of your rooms," Kratos said quickly, "Anna, if you don't mind we'd like to be alone."

"Okay," she said warily and ascended the stairs to the room she'd occupied the night before. Kratos turned to Alden.

"I'll through in some extra gald, I feel like an intruder."

"Don't worry about it. Here you can use this room." Kratos and Yuan were ushered into a very blue room. The walls were a royal blue, the rug was blue and gold. A fireplace stood on the southern wall, adorned with blue candles. A long table stood in the center of the room was draped with a blue table cloth. Alden left them to return to his paper work while Yuan took a seat at the table, Kratos followed suit.

"Heimdall: Independent Healers?" Yuan asked with emphasis on the first word. Kratos nodded.

"Don't worry, he just knows it through legend."

"I see, and Anna? She has an exsphere, and that's not a normal exsphere."

"I know," Kratos muttered, "It's not a Cruxis Crystal either. No doubt the Desians will want it back."

"She's not a Desian, is she?" Kratos shook his head.

"No, she's an escaped prisoner, I rescued her from the guards after she'd escaped."

"Well, you might want to keep her with you. I don't think we want Mithos or the Desians to get a hold of it. Be careful, Kratos. Mithos isn't exactly happy with you. He sent out all sorts of beings to find you. Mostly to churches and Houses of Salvation. I told him you were too smart to stay at an inn and not to bother stationing people there, I see I was right."

"Not exactly, if it weren't for Anna I'd be at an inn now. She wasn't exactly in good condition when I found her."

"I see, well its safe to stay in inns for now. Just stay away from anything run by the church of Martel."

"I figured as much. Does he have people all over Sylvarant?"

"Yes, and Tethe'alla. He sent me to search for you, but I won't turn you in, you never know when I might need you to return the favor." Yuan winked at him and rose from his seat, "Well I must go and report my unsuccessful search to Mithos. I'll check up on you later." Kratos stood to see Yuan off then wandered over to Alden who was still working at his desk.

"I'm sorry for all the trouble we've caused you. We'll probably only stay for two more nights."

"We? I thought you and Anna only just met."

"Yes, but I feel somewhat responsible for her. I doubt she'd last very long left alone with the Desians after her."

"I suppose not," Alden agreed, shooting a glance up the stairs.

**A/N: **Wooo! you made it through the first chapter! Please R&R! I'm working on ch. 2 and I hope it will be out shortly.


	2. Angel's Changes

**A/N:** Well that took longer than expected to finish. It's not quite as long as the last one...I'm working on Chapter three so that should beposted soon. Please review and let me know what you think!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Tales of Symphonia

**Angel's Changes**

The next morning Kratos was awoken to a silent, somewhat moody Anna. She hadn't spoken a word over dinner the night before, and it didn't look like she was going to start now. Breakfast was very tense. Anna was glaring at Kratos, and Kratos was glaring back. Alden was trying not to bring attention to himself, and only spoke to make sure everyone had enough to eat. Suddenly Anna set her knife and fork down firmly.

"Who the Hell do you think you are?" she spat at Kratos. Kratos was somewhat taken aback by this, but replied coolly, "What do you mean by that?"

"You and that friend of yours, Yuan, who are you to sit around and rule other people's lives? You aren't gods!" What she said was slightly unnerving to Kratos, but he kept his face straight and his tone calm.

"Anna, I have no idea what you are talking about."

"Yes, you do! I heard you and him talking about you keeping an eye on me, as if I were some little lost child. I'll have you know I'm a grown woman and I can take care of myself!"

"You heard us?" He asked coldly. Anna blushed, but didn't break eye contact with Kratos.

"Yes, but I wasn't spying," She said defiantly, "I heard you through the fireplace, it must share a chimney with the one downstairs, I tried not to listen, but as soon as I heard my name it was hard not to..."

"I see... How much did you hear?" Kratos asked slowly.

"Most of it. You work for Mithos?"

"Sort of, he's a friend, and at one point, a student of mine."

"So then why does he want to kill you?"

"He doesn't," Kratos corrected her, "I'm too valuable to him."

"Valuable how?" She asked suspiciously.

"That doesn't concern you, Anna," he told her sternly.

"What's a Cruxis Crystal?" she asked trying a new angle. Kratos sighed inwardly. He had desperately hoped she'd missed that part of the conversation, or forgotten, it had been so briefly mentioned. _Well, at least she didn't say anything about Tethe'alla_, He thought.

"It's a code word in my trade," he lied.

"Liar, you made it sound like a type of exsphere."

"It's really nothing that concerns you."

"Anna," Alden spoke meekly, "you're asking a lot of personal questions that you were never meant to hear."-Anna glared daggers at him-"Why don't you just leave him alone?"

"Because he wants to baby me just because he saved my life once! It's not even like he's that much older than me! I don't care about this stupid, stupid stone!" She shouted gesturing to the gem on her chest, "I just wish everyone would leave me alone, Kratos, Kvar, I don't care what they want!"

"Kvar?" Kratos asked softly.

"Yes, he's one of the five Desian Grand Cardinals. He's the one in charge of the Angelus Project," some of the anger had left her voice.

"Angelus project?" Kratos asked in the same tone.

"Yes, they're growing an exsphere inside of me," she told him softly, shifting her gaze to the floor. Alden shuddered at the thought of something growing inside of someone and Kratos looked shocked.

"What the Hell for?" he asked in disgust.

"A present, apparently," she told him sadly, "for Kvar's leader, Yggdrasil." Kratos felt a guilty twinge in his stomach. This, he thought, was his fault. Anna continued to stare at the floor, apparently lost in thought.

"That's terrible!" Alden interjected. Anna nodded slowly and Kratos was once again filled with disgust and guilt.

"Anna..." Kratos said slowly, "You do realize that they will kill you to get that exsphere back." Anna nodded again, just as slowly as before.

"Then you understand why you need to be protected..."

"That's the problem," Anna sighed, "I don't want to be protected, I want to find my family and live a normal life..."

"But as long as you have that exsphere you won't be able to live a normal life. Kvar will continue to come after you. And since your exsphere lacks a key crest removing it would greatly endanger your life. Plus you're not trained to use any type of weapon, so you have no means of protecting yourself."

"I know... I know. I managed to steal a dagger, but I dropped it trying to unsheathe it shortly before they caught me. But I'm so tired of being a prisoner, I'm tired of always having to be guarded."

"I understand, but there's really not much we can do about it." Anna nodded sadly before saying, "Suddenly I'm not very hungry anymore, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to my room." And with that she rose from the table and left the room. Kratos leaned back in his chair and sighed.

"Why do I feel like this is all my fault?" he asked no one in particular.

"Don't be so hard on yourself," Alden told him, "all you did was rescue her." I wish that's all I'd done, Kratos thought bitterly. He sighed, "I suppose I should try and make up with her..." Alden shrugged as Kratos rose from his chair.

As he ascended the stairs Kratos pondered what to say to her. His mind staged several possible conversations, most of which ended in another argument or Anna bursting into tears. Finally his thoughts rested on a subject that he could use as a back up plan if things didn't go well.

He knocked softly on the door.

"Anna?" he inquired gently.

"Yes?" came her solemn voice.

"Do you mind if I come in?"

"The door's open..." Kratos entered slowly to find Anna sitting on her bed in the midst of braiding her hair. She gestured to the sofa where he took a seat. THere was a long pause before Kratos mumbled,

"I'm sorry for being harsh earlier."

"No, I shouldn't have yelled, I was being irrational. You just had my best interests at heart." There was silence again while Anna finished her braid.

"Um, are you going out?" Kratos asked.

"Huh? Oh! The braid... yeah I was thinking about it."

"Would you mind if I accompanied you?"

"Not at all," she replied giving him a warm smile.

* * *

They left shortly after lunch, leaving Alden to his work. Noishe followed closely to Anna, licking her hand affectionately. Kratos fell into step with her. He faced forward not looking at her.

"May I inquire as to where we are going?" Anna giggled then after a questioning look from Kratos said, "You talk funny, do you know that? Very old fashioned." Kratos was taken aback by this, no one had ever said that to him.

"Oh?" he didn't really know what else to say. Anna nodded.

"Yes, but it's not funny in a bad way. It's like how people talk in old books, so whenever I read an old book I'll think of you." Something about this statement made Kratos relax and smile slightly to himself.

"So, where are we going?" He asked again.

"To my house," she told him with pride, "I was born there."

The house she led him to was located near one of the bridges that led to the mayor's house and the church of Martel. It was a quaint house of the same design of those around it. It suited Anna very well, Kratos thought.

Anna took a deep breath and rapped three times on the door. A muffled call could be heard from inside.

"Aifread, dear, would you get the door?" A young red-headed boy cracked open the door and poked his head around the corner to see who was there. Anna smiled warmly down at him.

"Excuse me, is your mother home?" she asked politely. The boy nodded timidly and called into the house for his mother. Shortly a woman with hair to match her son's appeared in the door way.

"Hello," she said kindly, giving them a friendly smile," Is there something I could help you with?"

"Um, yes, I'm looking for Lloyd and Sarah Johnson, could you tell me where I could find them?" The woman's face fell.

"Oh, I'm terribly sorry," she said in a very sincere voice, "but they passed away not long after their daughter was taken to the ranch." Anna's expression turned to one of deep sadness, but managed to keep the same tone when she continued, "Oh, I see, well then could you tell me where I might find a Brian Miller?" The woman smiled at the mention of Brian's name and said fondly, "Ah yes, Brian, such a nice boy. I do believe he moved to Palmacoasta." Anna gave her a weak smile and thanked her for her help.

"It was no problem," Aifread's mother replied and retreated into the house. Anna turned to look sadly up at Kratos. He wanted to say something comforting, but once again he found himself in a situation where he didn't know what to say to her. Anna brushed past him, walking as if in a trance. Kratos followed her, still not speaking a word. Her feet led her to a familiar spot on the bridge that crossed Sinoa Lake.

"Are you all right?" he asked softly as she stared off at the lake. Kratos mentally kicked himself. _Of course she's not all right_, He thought. Anna looked back up at him releasing herself from her trance.

"It's weird," she said slowly, "but I'm not as hurt as I would've thought myself to be."

"Oh?" Kratos asked staring at some point across the lake.

"I mean maybe it's just that I got used to the fact that I'd never see them again while I was at the ranch." They stood in silence for a while before Anna spoke again.

"But do you know what the worst part is?" she asked looking up at his face. Kratos turned to meet her gaze.

"The worst part is I can't cry. Even though I really, really, want to." Kratos felt the familiar pang of guilt in his stomach. He didn't reply to this statement. Nothing he could say would maker her feel better. His gaze returned to the lake as he tried to rid himself of the sickening guilt. He was startled slightly when he felt something press against his side. He looked down to see Anna's head resting on his shoulder. He smiled softly to himself and comfortingly wrapped his arm around her shoulders.

* * *

It was dusk before they made their way back to Alden's. Anna was finally beginning to feel better and Noishe was doing his best to cheer her up. Kratos fell behind the girl and the protozoan, deep in thought. He was concerned for the girl's safety, that much was true, but on the bridge he had been... happy.

He knew he shouldn't have felt like that when Anna was feeling so miserable, but he had indeed been happy. It was an odd feeling, but a pleasant one all the same. He hadn't felt like that in years.

Anna turned to see Kratos had fallen a couple of yards behind. She stopped and waited for him to catch up. Once he had done so her step fell into his.

"Are you okay?" she asked looking up at him.

"I"m fine," he told her truthfully.

"You're awfully quiet."

"I normally am."

"Fair enough," she giggled. They walked in silence until they reached Heimdal: Independent Healers. Much to Kratos's surprise they found the door ajar and the curtains drawn. He stuck his arm out catching Anna, who was in the middle of reaching for the door knob.

"I don't like the looks of this," he murmured, drawing his sword. He crept through the doorway, Anna's hand on his shoulder so as to keep close to him. The entrance room was in shambles. The reception desk was overturned and papers littered the floor. Pictures on the wall were crooked; some lay shattered on the floor. Anna emitted a gasp as she took in the state of the room. They picked their way around the scattered papers and broken glass. Instinctively Kratos made his way to Alden's study.

The study was, if anything, in worse condition than the last room. Books, papers, and broken glass scattered to floor, along with...

"Alden!" Anna gasped clapping her hand to her mouth and staring down at the lifeless body before her. He lay spread-eagled on the ground, his eyes staring emptily at the ceiling. A small rivulet of blood tricked from his mouth, which was open as if in shock. His pink hair was splattered crimson andon his chest was a deep stab wound.

Sheathing his sword Kratos moved to examine the body of the fallen half-elf. He noted that the wound had definitely been made by the jagged swords of the Cruxis angels. Beneath the wound he noticed a night black feather. _Definitely from Cruxis_, he thought.

"Do you think it was Desians?" Anna asked finally in a horrified tone.

"Most likely," he lied. After their argument over breakfast he decided it was best to hide the truth from her a little while longer.

"Oh, Kratos! It's all my fault! What should we do?"

"Calm down, Anna, it's not your fault. We should probably inform the authorities of Luin," he told her, pocketing the feather, "and then we should leave Luin immediately. You don't have any possessions here, do you?" Anna should her head,

"Good, then we'd best be going."

They spent a surprisingly little time reporting Alden's death to the mayor. They were not held for questioning, but instead were thanked and released almost immediately. This struck Kratos as odd until he thought bitterly to himself, _Of course, Alden was a half-elf…_

Night had fallen by the time they'd made it to the outskirts of the city. Stars sprinkled the sky and a crescent moon hung overhead.

"We should probably head onto Hima," Kratos decided making a move towards the western path.

"What? But, Asgard's closer," Anna complained.

"Which is exactly why they'd expect us to go that way. If we travel quickly we should get there before morning. Then we can head to Izoold and from there we can get a boat to Palmacoasta," Kratos explained.

"Why Palmacoasta?" Anna inquired.

"You do want to meet up with Brian don't you?" Kratos asked a note of amusement in his voice. He was well rewarded for this.

Anna's stunning green-eyes lit up and she threw her arms around him in a joyful hug.

"Thank you, Kratos," she cried releasing him and smiling broadly. He gave her a small smile.

"I know you may not like it, but I feel responsible for you. I need to make sure you get safely to where you're going." She smiled up at him before turning to scratch Noishe behind the ears.

* * *

They reached Hima at a very early hour of the morning. They might have had to camp out for the night had Noishe not been willing to carry a sleeping Anna part of the way. She was just waking up as they ascended the mountain to Hima.

"Good morning," he greeted her as she yawned sleepily.

"'Morning," She replied stifling another yawn, "where are we?"

"We're just approaching Hima," he informed her gesturing to the lit windows of the village above them. She smiled up at the inviting looking windows.

"I've never been to Hima before," she said matter-of-factly, dismounting Noishe to walk beside Kratos.

"Have you ever been outside of Luin?"

"If you mean besides the ranch, then not really. I went to Asgard once with my dad when I was young."

"I see, then traveling like this is a new experience for you."

"Yup," she smiled broadly up at him.

They entered the inn to find the receptionist dozing in his chair.

"Um, excuse me," Kratos said, jolting the receptionist from his sleep, "We'd like two rooms."

"Oh, right, here're the keys, her room is upstairs, and yours is down here," the man muttered.

"Thanks," Kratos muttered, taking the keys and paying for them.  
Kratos was about to enter his room when he was struck by a sudden thought. He turned to Anna who was half way up the stairs and called, "Oh, by the way, I meant to ask, who exactly is Brian Miller?"

"Oh, right, sorry, he was my boyfriend at the time I was taken to the ranch," she said, smiling down at him, "Good night."


	3. Angel's Thoughts

**Disclaimer: I don't own Tales of Symphonia**

**A/N: I'm sorry this took so long to finish. I've been kinda busy with school and what not. And I sorta forgot to thank those who reviewed the first and secondchapter so SmileBeHappy, adri66215, Kratos Aurion Fan, Mee Yah, MindTricks, yuni, and Eliannora, thanx!**

**And now here is chapter three, enjoy!**

**Angel's Thoughts**

Kratos didn't sleep well that night. His troubled thoughts deprived him of the few hours of darkness left. Thoughts of Brian, why did he feel so... irritated, upon hearing his name? Thoughts of Mithos, there had to be some way to stop him, he'd gone too far this time, and thoughts of Anna haunted his mind. An hour or so before dawn he finally managed to drift into sub consciousness; however, sleep wasn't much more peaceful.

* * *

_He wandered through a dreamland. Darkness stretched out for endless miles on either side of him. A light shone some distance ahead of him, beaming down from an indistinguishable sky, creating an eerie pinkish glow in the darkness. A figure appeared in the center of the light, though Kratos couldn't quite make out who it was. He quickened his pace to reach the light faster. He was drawn to it though he knew not why._

_As he approached, the figure became clearer. It was a boy, no older than fifteen. His back was turned, but Kratos now knew who the figure was._

_"Mithos!" He called out. The boy turned, an odd smile on his face._

_"Kratos, come here, I want to show you something," he said with boyish innocence. Kratos slowed his pace to a stop as he approached the boy._

_"What is it, Mithos?" he asked folding his arms over his chest._

_"Look," Mithos instructed, pointing out into the darkness. As Kratos's gaze turned to the direction he was pointing. A great chasm was illuminated, emitting the same pinkish glow as the light he was standing in. Kratos gasped at the sight laid out before him. Thousands upon millions of angels and expheres filled the chasm. The angels' lifeless gaze was fixed on Kratos and the exshperes reflected the pink light._

_"Isn't it wonderful?" Mithos asked looking expectantly up at Kratos, "They are lifeless, now all are equal, this, Kratos, has been my dream." Kratos gaped at the boy in horror._

_"No, Mithos, this is wrong."_

_"Kratos? What are you talking about? This is what we wanted. This is what Martel wanted."_

_"No Mithos, Martel would never have wanted this, and I don't want it either," he said firmly._

_"How can you say that? After all these years, you've turned your back on equality? Kratos, how could you?" Mithos asked in a shocked tone._

_"This is worse than inequality! These people don't deserve this! I won't let you do this!" He attempted to strike Mithos, but his hand merely passed through the boy's head as ifit were no more than smoke, leaving an eerie smile on Mithos's face. Kratos stared in shock as Mithos's form flickered a few times and then vanished._

_"Traitor."_ _His voice echoed through the endless world around Kratos, pounding in his ears. Suddenly the chasm went black, leaving Kratos alone in the beam of light Mithos had appeared in. He wasn't alone long. Flames ignited in a rocky valley to his right. A steep cliff face was illuminated on the other side of the flames, and on one of the ledges stood two figures, Anna and Kvar. Kvar had grabbed Anna by the back of the neck and was dangling her over the ledge._

_Kratos_ _watched in horror as Kvars's staff transformed into a double edge sword. He thrust it through her back. The sword wentright the way through her, emerging at the point where her exsphere had been._

_Kratos yelled, but his cries were inaudible next to the roar of the flames._

_"Kratos," Anna's sad voice reverberated through his head, "You could've saved me..."_

_"No! Anna! You don't understand! Mithos!" He cried, but once again his voice was drowned out by the flames. Kvar tossed her now lifeless body into the flames below; however, just as she'd disappeared into the flames they were extinguished revealing the gruesome sight below. The valley was illuminated by a dim pink glow by which Kratos could see the corpses of Anna and Alden, along with those of every failed chosen of Sylvarant and Tethe'alla. He was transfixed by what he saw. He didn't wrench his gaze from the bodies until the peak of the cliff was illuminated by a bright, white light._

_Two figures stood upon the crest looking down sadly upon the valley. The taller of the two was unmistakably Yuan, the other was indistinguishable. Kratos couldn't even make out if the figure was male or female. Yuan and the figure stood for several moments before Yuan turned and walked slowly away. The other looked back after Yuan then turned his gaze on Kratos. Their eyes met for a moment. Kratos stared into deep brown eyes, full of warmth, and he was filled with an odd sense of longing. He wanted to join the person on the cliff, but he was bound to the ground on which he stood, as if confined by invisible chains. the cliff vanished into blackness._

_Suddenly a maniacal laugh rang deafeningly through the darkness in what sounded like Mithos's voice; however, the voice quickly merged with the sound of what sounded like Martel crying. The chaotic noise pounding in his ears was making his head spin. If only it would stop..._

* * *

Kratos sat up with a jolt. He could feel a light sweat on his brow. Bringing his hand to his forehead he glanced out the window. The horizon was dyed a faint red as the sun prepared to peak over the hills, no doubt Anna would still be asleep. He rose slowly from his bed. Slipping on his sleeve-like gloves and throwing his cloak around his shoulders, he made his way to the door. The early morning air was crisp and cool against his face. Noishe, who was dozing by the steps to the inn, raised his head to greet his master.

"Noishe," Kratos addressed the protozoan softly, "I need you to make sure no one who might harm Anna enters the inn, likewise I'd rather not have Anna come out, but if she insists make sure she finds me safely. I'll be on the summit." Noishe gave a low growl that was almost a purr to let Kratos know he understood. Kratos nodded and began his hike to the peak.

The trip was not long, by the time he reached the top the sun was just visible over the horizon. He seated himself as comfortably as possible on the hard ground, gazing up at the sky. Beyond that mass of blue was Derris-Kharlan, unseen by any of this world. The tower of Salvation was somewhere around here too, though it would not appear until the next chosen began his or her quest of regeneration. This thought made his insides go cold. It was all his fault. He had to do something about Mithos... Mithos. Images of his dream flashed in his mind.

_"Isn't it wonderful? They are lifeless, now all are equal, this, Kratos, has been my dream."_

_"No, Mithos, this is wrong."_

_"Kratos? What are you talking about? This is what we wanted. This is what Martel wanted."_

_"No Mithos, Martel would never have wanted this, and I don't want it either," _

_"How can you say that? After all these years, you've turned your back on equality? Kratos, how could you?"_

_"This is worse than inequality! These people don't deserve this! I won't let you do this!" _

And then he had attempted to hit the boy. No, he _had_ hit him. For this conversation had really taken place. Sure, some of it was slightly different, but his fist had indeed collided with Mithos's head. The look of shock and hurt on Mithos's face had engraved itself in his mind. _But the stupid boy had deserved it, someone had to knock some sense into him._ Kratos sighed heavily. It was so unlike him to lose his temper like that, but even so... _an age of lifeless beings? _Perhaps that had merely been the straw that broke the camel's back… or maybe four thousand years was finally beginning to catch up with him. He was all of a sudden being immersed by so many emotions: anger, happiness, that odd irritation, and some he didn't even know how to describe. And why the hell was he becoming so attached to that human girl, Anna?

Anna... she had been in his dream.

_"Kratos... you could've saved me..." _What the hell was that supposed to mean?

Suddenly Kratos was aware of the sound of footsteps from behind. Heattempted to jump up, draw his sword, and turn to see who it was all inthe samemotion. He failed dismaly ending up flat on his face. The sound ofYuan's laughter reached his earsas hepushed himself up. "Damn it Yuan," he grumbled as he acceptedthe hand Yuan had offered him.

"Graceful as always, I see," Yuanchuckled.

"Shut it! Don't creep up on me like that."

"Who was creeping? You were the one who's all jumpy."

"I'm notjumpy I just have some thingson my mind."Kratos sighed and resumed his seat on the ground, Yuan sat next to him.

"Where's Anna?" Yuan inquired.

"She's at the inn, asleep I presume."

"You just left her there?"

"Noishe is standing guard."

"Oh, that's what he was doing. He gave me a bit of a hard time when I tried to get in to find you." Kratos chuckled.

"Why all the interest in Anna all of a sudden?"

"Have you found anything else about her exsphere?" Kratos nodded.

"It's part of something called the 'Angelus Project.' Kvar's running it, apparently he's trying to grow an exsphere inside her body, or at least, that's what she said. I have a different idea, though." Yuan raised his eyebrows.

"And what might that be?"

"I believe that he isn't growing an exsphere inside her. On the contrary, I believe he placed an exshpere on her and is trying to evolve it into a Cruxis crystal. That's why we didn't recognize it. It's only half a Cruxis crystal, if that much." Yuan stared at him.

"Kratos, what you're suggesting is very disturbing. Can you be sure that's what Kvar's doing? What's his motive?"

"Anna says he's making it as a present for Yggdrasil. So no doubt his motive would be trying to gain power within Cruxis. As to why I believe it's a Cruxis crystal, well, Anna can't cry. As I'm sure you remember, Yuan, this was one of the first emotions stripped from us before we came in contact with the summon spirits."

"Yes, that would make sense, but because it's not a full Cruxis crystal, and she won't be coming in contact with any summon spirits I highly doubt she'll become an angel. By the looks of things she'll just be stripped of all emotions." Kratos nodded.

"Do you think we could do anything to save her?" Yuan shrugged.

"Who knows. I mean it's not like we can just waltz up to Cruxis and have one of their dwarves make a key crest or anything, and I don't know of any dwarves living on the surface."

"Do you think we could make one?" Yuan gaped at him.

"You mean 'we' as in you and me, right?" Yuan sighed pushing his hair back, "I'd tell you no, but I know you won't take that as an answer. I suppose if we get some inhibitor ore and if we study our own key crests for a charm we might be able to forge something temporarily. But, at best I'd expect it would merely subdue the effects of the crystal for a short while." Kratos grinned appreciatively.

"Well, that at least would give us some time to get a real one made." Yuan nodded.

"There's no way you two are going to be able to get to Tethe'alla. For one she doesn't know about it, and two, Cruxis will be guarding their rheairds and watching the portals. I'll stop by the Toize mines next time Mithos sends me over there."

"Thanks, Yuan."

"Yeah, you owe me big. Honestly, Kratos, I don't know how you get yourself in these situations," Yuan said, getting to his feet. Kratos smirked, also rising.

"Oh, by the way," Kratos said suddenly, "How did you find us?"

"Well, when I heard about Alden I went directly to Asgard, but when I couldn't find you anywhere there, I came here. I might add, it won't take long for the Desians and Cruxis to figure out where you are, so I suggest you not stay here too long."

Kratos nodded, "We'll move on either this afternoon or tomorrow morning."

"Good, now if you'll excuse me, I must return to Mithos before he starts getting suspicious." He turned, striding past Anna who was just emerging around the top of the mountain, Noishe at her side. She looked after him with an odd expression on her face.

"Was that Yuan just now?" She asked as she approached Kratos.

"Yes, it was."

"What was he doing here?"

"Checking up on us. Apparently the Desians are still looking for us in Asgard. So I suggest we head on to Izoold. We can get a boat to Palmacoasta from there." Anna smiled and asked, " When are we leaving?"

"Hopefully today. We need to stock up on proper traveling supplies. You might want to buy a change of clothes." He looked out in the direction of Izoold. "It looks like it's going to rain."

"I doubt it. The sky is clear, but if you insist," Anna giggled.

By the time the two of them reached the base of the mountain, the sky was dotted with a few clouds, but nothing too menacing. Anna decided to take Kratos's advice anyway and went off with Noishe to buy a second set of clothes. Kratos on the other hand headed towards a shop where a man was providing customization services. After perusing the list of weapons the man was willing to make he approached the him.

"Look, I realize you normally wouldn't do this, but would you be willing to make me a stiletto? I have the required materials, and I'll pay for your trouble." The man considered this for a moment before asking, "How much?"

"How much are you asking for?" The man thought for a moment than replied gruffly, "Two thousand gald."

"Fine, here," Kratos grumbled, handing him a rather large bag, "And here are the supplies you'll need." He handed over various metals.

"Come back in 'n hour or so," he grumbled turning to his anvil.

"Kratos left the customization shop and decided to try to find someone who would sell him a set of bed rolls, and maybe a set of waterproof blankets, as he knew it was going to rain. They would also need food. It was at least a two day walk from here and there was no guarantee that they would be able to get a boat on the first day in Izoold.

He managed to purchase the supplies without going to more than two vendors, and he met up with Anna about a half an hour later. She had bought a skirt that was similar to the one she wore; however, it was a forest green. She got a shirt was a deep shade of blue and was long sleeved. The outfit came with a green shawl and a blue ribbon to tie her hair back with.

"You'll thank me later," Kratos muttered when she showed him the outfit.

"What? You still think it's going to rain? There's hardly a cloud in the sky!"

"So it would seem," Kratos replied, turning his gaze to the sky.

"Well, better safe than sorry," she said cheerfully, "I can't wait to get to Palmacoasta! It's supposed to be the biggest city in Sylvarant."

"Yes, in Sylvarant," he said distractedly, shooting a glance to the customization shop where the sword smith was standing idly, watching passers by.

"I wonder if he's finished that dagger..."

"Dagger? Are you getting yourself a new weapon?"

"No, it's for you. I'd feel better if I knew you weren't unarmed all the time."

"For me? But I can't use a weapon."

"I know, and how are you supposed to learn if you don't have one?"

"Well, I..."

"You said yourself you're tired of being guarded and if you could defend yourself you wouldn't need to be. Well, not as much anyway."

"Kratos... why are you doing this for me?"

"I've done some things in my life that I'm not too proud of. I suppose I'm trying to atone a bit."

"Things?"

"Yes, Anna,things I would rather not talk about." Sheheld her tongue.

"Come on, let's go see if he's finished your stiletto."

As they approached the customization shop the sword smith eyed them with distaste.

"I thought I told you to come back in 'n hour," he grumbled.

"You appear to be finished," Kratos retorted, "I've come to pick up the stiletto." The man grumbled something under his breath as he retrieved the dagger from his work bench.

"There you are," he spat, thrusting a sheathed dagger at Kratos," And don't go 'round tellin' people I made 'n exception for you. I won't be doin' any more requests. If you don't like what I'm makin' go some where else."

"Right, I'll keep that in mind," Kratos murmured coldly, turning towards Anna.

"Here, this is yours, keep it with you."

"Thank you, Kratos"

"Don't mention it."

* * *

They left that afternoon, each with a backpack filled with supplies they'd purchased that morning. Noishe seemed to be happy to get on the road again. Anna was chattering about Palmacoasta and how great it was going to be to see Brian. Kratos wasn't really listening. He was trying to sort things out in his mind. If he and Yuan were really going to try and make a key crest for Anna there were a couple of things they'd have to do.

_Damn it. Why did I have to hit him? Why did I have lose it like that? _He thought bitterly, _Well, if I hadn't have gotten mad the worlds would be in more danger than they are now, and I wouldn't have been able to meet Anna._

"Such a lucky coincidence," he murmured.

"It's fate," Anna told him grinning broadly.

"What?" Kratos asked, turning to look slightly surprised at her.

"I just said 'wasn't it good that you heard me scream or else I'd be dead or at that dreadful ranch right now, instead of on my way to Palmacoasta.' It's fate things turned out like this."

"I see," he muttered returning to his thoughts as Anna returned to her babble.

It was late by the time they finally decided to stop for the night. Kratos was tired; Anna hadn't stopped jabbering about Brian since they left and it was beginning to annoy him.

"I remember this one time," Anna was beginning a new story as she lay out her bed roll.

"Anna, could you tell me in the morning? I didn't get much sleep last night. I'm tired. And right now I don't really care."

"Oh... right, sure," shesaid, abashed, shifting her gaze to the ground.

He sighed, making himself comfortable on his own bed. The stars were bright overhead, but Kratos could see clouds off in the distance.

"The stars are so clear out here," Anna commented from her mat.

"Yes..."

"Brian and I used to watch the stars." With that Kratos rolled over and said coldly, "Good night, Anna... It's going to rain tonight so I hope you're properly bundled up."

"Are you still going on about that?" She scoffed, "Look at the sky! It's not going to rain."

Kratos was awoken at about five in the morning to an utter downpour. Smirking to himself he smugly pulled the waterproof blanket over his head and went back to sleep. Four thousand years could teach you a thing or two about the weather.

**A/N: I'm working on chapter four, but I don't know when it will be out what with school and such... Please review I love to hearcomments and constructive criticism.**


	4. Angel's Delight

**A/N: Wow, that took a lot longer than expected to finished, sorry about that...I want to apologize for the crappy title of this ch. my editor made it up... not me because I couldn't think of ne thing...ne way time to reply to reviewers! Thank you to all of you, LoL!**

**DDragonWhisper: Thanks! I hope my plot stay's interesting, Lol. **

**MollyMonkey: Thank you, I'm off of school a lot this month and the next so hopefully I will be quicker at getting the next ch. out...**

**LordYggdrasilfromthe70's: heh, well I guess I have a lot of time to let my mind wander during Algebra II (ugh, so boring...). And yes, I write this by myself... I have an "editor" who gives me some ideas (like, it was his idea to make Kratos fall over in the last ch, don't ask...) and corrects my appalling spelling, lol, (Btw, I love the name, lol)**

**MindTricks: Thanks! Yeah, nearly weekly essays in English aren't good for my free time...**

**SassyRecombinantpassions: LoL glad you like it!**

**Adri66215: LoL, glad you enjoyed it. And you shall find out what happens with Anna, Brian, and Kratos soon, hopefully...lol**

**Kratos Aurion Fan: LoL, thanks! Here's the update! And I'm already writing the next one!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Tales of Sypmphonia…**

**Now, on with the story!**

* * *

**Angel's Delight**

The next morning the cold autumn rain was still hammering the ground. To Kratos' delight, he found Anna sitting on a small nearby rock with one of the water-proof blankets draped over her head and shoulders. She had gotten up in the middle of the night and fumbled through the pack to retrieve the blanket, but by the time she returned to her mat, the blankets, as well as herself, were soaked. Too uncomfortable for sleep, she had merely wrapped the blanket around herself to keep the rest of the rain out. _Well, _he thought, _that's what she gets for not heeding my warnings._

"Good morning," he greeted her in an annoyingly cheery voice, "Have a good sleep?" She glared at him.

"I bet you're glad you listened to me when I told you to buy a second set of clothes. I hope they didn't get wet when you got that blanket out."

She groaned, giving him an exasperated look.

"Well, no matter, I'm sure they'll dry. Do you want some breakfast?"

"Yes please," Anna said, smiling slightly.

"Well, there's an apple in one of the packs. Try not to get whatever's still dry wet." Her smile disappeared and was replaced with a scowl as she pulled one of the bags closer to her and began fishing around for something to eat.

Kratos sighed as rain dripped off his hair and cloak. Noishe sidled over to him looking quite bedraggled, ears and tail drooped.

"So, how far is it to Izoold?" Anna asked, taking a bite from an apple she'd retrieved.

"At least another day's walk. And it doesn't look like this rain is going to let up," Kratos replied. Anna groaned again.

"Isn't there a House of Salvation or something between here and there?"

"No, and even if there was we wouldn't be stopping."

"Why not?" she inquired. Kratos sighed.

"You're really bad at eavesdropping, you know that?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Anna demanded indignantly.

"If you're going to listen in, then at least try to pick up useful pieces of information; however, it would seem you only listened to the part concerning you, then only felt the need to hear the name of the person replacing you in my conversation with Yuan."

"Are you talking about Mithos?"

"Yes, and had you been listening properly you would've heard us say Mithos has people looking for me at pretty much every organization run by the church of Martel."Anna gaped at him in disbelief. Just a couple of days ago he'd gotten mad at her for hearing a part of the conversation, and now he was berating her for not hearing more of it? She just didn't understand this man at all.

"So let me get this straight. You are mad at me because I resisted listeningto more of your conversation?"

"I'm saying if you're going to pry, you might as well learn something from it besides what other people might be saying about you."

"I don't believe you. I simply don't believe you or the way you think."

"Well you're not the first," he muttered. She glared at him. Kratos shrugged and began packing up the camp sight. Furrowing her eyebrows, apparently deep in thought, Anna took another bite of apple.

"Why would Mithos be looking for you at Houses of Salvation?" she asked slowly.

"I was wondering how long it would take you to ask that," he sneered, earning a nasty look from her, "I can't really go into details with you, but let's just say Mithos has really good connections within the church."

"What? Is he related to a powerful priest or something?"

"Something like that," he muttered, rolling up the last of the bedding, and ringing water from it in the process.

"I still don't understand why he's after you."

"You're not supposed to. That information is between Mithos, Yuan, and me.

"How come Yuan's in on this?"

"Dear Martel, you ask a lot of questions!"

"Is there a problem with that?" Kratos sighed, shaking his head.

"Come on, the less time we spend traveling, the better." Kratos set off with long strides attempting to make good time, but it wasn't long before Anna fell behind. He and Noishe stopped to see her several yards back.

"I suggest you walk faster if you want to get out of the rain," he called back to her. She glared at him, looking rather pathetic. She still had the waterproof blanket draped over her head and shoulders. Despite this, she was still absolutely soaked. Her arms were crossed over her chest and she was walking with her back hunched over.

"Doesn't the rain bother you at all?" she called to him in a disbelieving voice.

"No, not really. Would you hurry up? It's really not that bad."

"Has anyone ever told you you're a heartless bastard?" she grumbled, catching up with Kratos as he started walking again.

"Not recently, Martel did once," he told her, grinning fondly at the memory.

"Who's Martel?" Anna asked bitterly, "Some slut girlfriend of yours? I mean who names their kid Martel, eh? It's worse than naming your kid Spiritua."

"Martel was no slut," he replied coolly, "and besides, she was always Yuan's girl."

"Was?"

"Yes, Martel died some time ago." To Kratos' amusement Anna's face turned as red as the carpets in the Meltokio castle.

"I'm sorry," she muttered looking away from him.

"Don't worry about it. Just don't say anything like that around Yuan."

The two walked in silence from that point on. Anna finally gave up on any hope of staying dry and Kratos slowed down a bit for her.

Night had fallen as they approached Izoold. It was very dark due to the low clouds blocking the light from the stars and the moon. A misty rain was falling, which, although uncomfortable, was better than the torrential downpour from earlier.

"Thank Martel we're almost there," Anna muttered, looking thankfully at the flickering lights from the city ahead. There was once again silence between them until Anna said suddenly, "That light is very odd. What do you suppose is going on?" This brought Kratos' attention to the odd flickering lights.

"Those are torch lights," he said slowly, focusing his sight on one of the moving flames.

"Damn it," he muttered, "Those are Desians carrying the torches."

"Are you sure?" Anna gasped looking up at him for any sign of this being a poor joke.

"Yes I'm positive. I can see them from here."

"Really?" she asked squinting to try and see better, "Darn, you've got good eyesight."

"Hmph, come on, we need to get away from here, now," he said firmly, grabbing her wrist and pulling her towards Ossa Trail.

"We'll have to camp in here tonight," he informed her as they started their hike up the steep pathway. Then, after seeing the disappointed look on her face he added, "I'm sorry we couldn't stay in Izoold."

"It's not your fault."

"I'd be willing to keep going until we reach Triet, but you're tired and I think it'd be better if we don't go all the way to a city in case the Desians are there too." Anna nodded.

The summit of the trail was above the clouds. A myriad of stars was glinting down at them from overhead and a linkite tree was chiming melodically in the cool night breeze.

"This seems like a good spot to stay the night," Kratos announced, "And with the clouds blocking the view from the town, I think it would be safe to build a fire." Anna smiled slightly, setting her pack on the ground.

"I'll go get firewood. You can change into dryer clothes if you want while I'm gone," Kratos told her. She nodded again as Kratos disappeared into the woods, leaving Noishe with her.

He looked back over his shoulder, and deciding he was well out of sight, he drew his transparent aqua wings, allowing him to make a quick decent down the trail. He had to be sure that those had indeed been Desians. When he had glimpsed them before he hadn't been sure if they truly were Desians or Renegades.If the latter were the case he might be able to seek asylum from them. As he approached the town the sound of the creaking boats rocking in the harbor increased.

It looked like things had cooled off a bit. The number of patrollers seemed to have diminished and those that remained appeared to be pacing with less purpose. Withdrawing his wings, he slinked

around the side of the inn, where he could listen in on a couple of men pacing side by side. They were definitely Desians.

"Don't you think Lord Kvar is overreacting a bit?" the first grumbled to the other.

"It sure does seem like he's making a big deal over some filthy human girl, but I heard she was the host body for the Angelus Project," his companion replied. The first seemed shocked, "Well that would explain a lot. How did she pull that off? She was the most heavily guarded host body." The second shook his head, "No idea, but I hear that she's with that other guy Kvar's looking for."

"Other guy?"

"Yeah, Kvar was given orders to search for him, from Lady Pronyma, I think."

"Great, so now she's got a body guard." There was a pause for a little while before one of them said, "Why didn't we stop in Hima when they weren't in Asgard?" The one that seemed to be more informed replied, "Lord Kvar reckons that they would've moved on from Hima by the time we got there. He said it would be better to cut them off at Izoold. He's informed Lord Magnius of her escape, and he's sending some of his men to search Palmacoasta in casethey skipped Asgard and went straight there."

"How long is he going to have us out here?" The other shrugged.

"Lord Kvar is having Lord Forcystus send men to search Triet some time before morning, so probably until tomorrow afternoon. Then we'll I think they're sending us back to Hima." That was all Kratos needed to hear. He crept back out of the city, and as soon as it was safe, he flew back to the Ossa Trail.

As he began his ascent he remembered that he was supposed to be getting firewood. So he left the main pathway and began collecting bits of wood that looked suitable for a fire. When he had collected enough, he returned to the camp site.

Anna was sitting against the linkite tree, looking very pretty in a green skirt and blue shirt, the shawlwas tied neatly around her shoulders.

"There you are, "she greeted him, grinning broadly," I was about to go looking for you." He gave her his signaturesmirk.

"Sorry about that. I had a bit of trouble with monsters." She frowned and said in a slightly concerned voice, "Do you think it'll be okay to stay here tonight?"

"Heh, I appreciate your concern for me," he replied sarcastically.

"Well, if you had been hurt you'd have come up here moaning and trying to get sympathy from me," she retorted, grinning.

"Sympathy?" he scoffed, "why would I want sympathy from you?" She laughed.

"I don't know, I wouldn't give any to you."

"Well, I don't think we have to worry about monsters. Once we build a fire they'll stay away, and if they don't, Noishe will let us know."

"When you say 'we will build a fire' you mean 'you,' right?" she asked, stretching out and resting her hands on the back of her head.

"I suppose so," he replied gruffly, kneeling down and arranging the logs in a patch of dirt. He stood up, satisfied with his work he muttered, "Fire ball." The arrangement of wood began crackling merrily as the flames danced between the logs.

"Whoa! You can use magic?" Anna gasped, sitting bolt upright.

"So it would seem," Kratos replied.

"Are you a half-elf?"

"Why? Does it matter?" Anna shook her head.

"No, it's just that you don't strike me as one. You seem very human, but it would make sense, becauseYuan's a half-elf and so was Alden..." Kratos chuckled, "No, I'm not a half-elf."

"But the magic..." she started.

"I probably have some elven blood in me somewhere, but not enough for me to even be considered a half-elf," he cut her off. It was a lie, but it was more believable than the truth.

She seemed to have drifted off into thought again, for she had fallen silent and was furrowing her eyebrows, staring at nothing in particular. He turned to the fire he had built, and deciding that it was big enough, began setting up his bed.

After a light dinner, they finally got in their sleeping bags. It was about ten o'clock, the fire was dying and the cool autumn breeze was blowing through the linkite tree.

"Would you look at those stars," Anna commented, lying on her back and gazing up at the heavens.

"Hmm," Kratos murmured in reply, also taking in the brilliant sight.

"Look! There's the Hero Mithos," she told him tracing her finger along the constellation. Kratos made a noncommittal noise and shifted uncomfortably.

"And there's the Great Kharlan Tree," she informed him, making great sweeping gestures with her finger along the night sky.

"Don't you like looking at the constellations?" she asked, after not getting her expected response from him.

"No, not really," he replied bluntly. To him constellations were memories that he didn't care to revisit.

"That's no fun; I'd have thought that since you're a mercenary you'd spend a lot of time outside looking at the stars." Stars were a different matter, he did enjoy looking at the stars, they reminded him that Mithos didn't have control over everything, and there was hope.

"Who told you I was a mercenary?"

"Well, no one, I kinda guessed. I mean, the sword for one, you don't sell anything, you seem to know a lot about traveling, and then the whole 'atonement' thing, so I just figured..."

"Hmm," it was a good cover story, he might as well stick with it, "Yes, well, I'm between jobs right now"

"You're not going to make me pay for your services, are you?"

"I already told you, this is, how did you say it? part of my 'whole atonement thing.'" she smirked at him and said, "Well, I appreciate it." There was silence between them until they both fell asleep.

* * *

Kratos awoke before Anna. A low, thick fog obscured his view of Izoold, telling him it was safe to build another fire. The sun was just becoming level with the top of the trail as Anna woke. She was pleased to see that Kratos had a fire going and was in a considerably better mood than the morning before. She sat close to the fire pulling her knees towards her chest and yawning openly. 

"Sleep well?" he inquired, seeing her actions.

"Not bad...as well as one can sleep on the ground."

Heh, well if we're lucky that'll be the last night you'll have to do that. We can stay at the inn in Izoold, then depending on the boat we take, we might have to spend a night on the boat, then we'll arrive in Palmacoasta..." She smiled at this news.

"That's good to hear. I don't think I'm quite cut out for this whole camping thing," she informed him with a small grin on her face." _Of course you're not, _he thought, _you've never been out side you're home town and spent the last seven years in a human ranch, but any one can become a 'camping person'..._

"Don't worry about it," he told her, "everyone's 'cut out' for camping, it just takes some people longer to get used to it than others." She gave him a skeptical look, but it quickly transformed into a smile.

"So are we having breakfast?"

"Heh, do you only think of food?"

"No, but it is that time of day." Kratos sighed and said, "I think there is, if you don't mind sandwiches for breakfast."

"At this point, I'll eat anything," she replied. Then, after going through various pockets asked, "Do you want something?"

"No, thank you, I'll be fine," he told her, scratching Noishe behind the ears.

"Are you sure?" He nodded.

"I'm a mercenary, I travel a lot, so I'm used to eating lightly." By the time Anna had finished her meager breakfast the fog that was shrouding Izoold had begun to thin. They began packing up and talking about places they were going to visit.

"Izoold's a small town, but it's the only town where you can get a boat to Palmacoasta. It's a fishing village," Kratos explained, swinging his pack onto his back.

"Just like Luin," Anna said, smiling.

"Yes, except Luin fishes for fresh water fish, Izoold gets its fish from the sea."

"I don't think fish from the sea would be very good," she said matter-of-factly.

"Oh?"

"No," she said, heading down the trail with Kratos, "Too salty." Kratos chuckled, shaking his head in disbelief. She simply smiled and kept walking. As she walked, she kept kicking up the newly fallen leaves, and it wasn't long before the overly loud rustling started getting on Kratos' nerves.

"Anna?"

"Hm?"

"Could you stop that?"

"Stop what?"

"Stop kicking the leaves."

"Why?"

"Because it's annoying." She frowned at him.

"Come now Kratos, that's not much fun. Lighten up, life is short, enjoy it while it lasts." She smiled and returned to kicking the leaves.

"Heh." _She's such a child, _he found himself thinking.

* * *

To Kratos' relief the Desians had left Izoold by the time they got there. The smell of salt was strong in the air, gulls were calling to each other as they flew overhead, and the soothing sound of waves beating against the shore was ever present as they walked through the town. 

Anna's eyes widened as they took in all the new sights. Kratos let a small grin of amusement touch his face as he watched her.

"Kratos, are those the boats we'll be taking?" she asked him, pointing towards the harbor.

"Those are fishing boats, and I'm sure one of them will take us to Palmacoasta."

"Oh... yes, I see the nets now... Won't it be fun?"

"Hmm, I suggest we go over there and start looking for a boat." Anna nodded in agreement as they crossed the bridge towards the harbor.

After asking several sailors, they found one who was willing to take them across the ocean along with a couple of other passengers. They would leave the next day.

To Anna's delight, they were able to stay at the inn, and after checking in, they left their things and went out to explore the town further. The sun was creeping across the sky as they wandered through the small fishing village. Watching Anna, the thought occurred to Kratos that he didn't know what he was going to do after he safely delivered Anna to Brian. He'd have to talk to Yuan about a key crest for her, but what after that?

Noticing he'd lost himself in thought, Anna waved her hand in front of his face. Coming to, he looked down at her smiling face. He smiled slightly to himself. He'd worry about what would happen next when the time came. For now, he was just going to enjoy the present.

**A/N: You made it through another chapter, congrats! Please review! And hopefully the next chapter will be out soon...-ish... **


	5. Angel's Shock

**Disclaimer: I don't own Tales of Symphonia; if I did there would be some sort of anime for it because thst would be spiffy.**

**A/N: Yay! I finished! Quickly-ish! First of all, I'd like to say that this has not been completely edited due to my editor giving me a corrupted file with the edited version in it. I am annoyed. Apparently this happened because we don't have the same word processor and this is going to be as good as it gets for the time being. So you people who are sticklers for good grammar and spelling, please don't shoot me. **

**And once again the title is kind of a last minute thing that my editor came up with because lets face it, I suck at titles… LoL Any way, hopefully the next ch. will be out quickly too... as soon as I figure out what's going to happen in it, that is... yeah... so Thank you reviewers!**

**Kratos Aurion Fan: Thanks! Here's the update! and I hope your cat has moved,LoL**

**Nicole: Thanks, hopefully the next chapter will be out shortly.**

**Kratos Wilder: Hee hee, thanks! Lloyd? Yeah, he'll be in this... eventually... I plan to go all the way through the story, skipping around a bit though, it would take too long to go through day by day...**

**MindTricks: Wow, I'm honored. So here's the next chapter so you will not be bored or sad!**

**Raspedra Twilight: Thanks, yes I have issues with grammar and spelling. I (and my editor and spell check) try to correct it but sometimes, we fail... lol**

**Okay, now here you go Chapter five**

**Angel's Shock**

The next day Anna and Kratos checked out of the inn early. Anna was cheery due to her good night's sleep in a real bed. All smiles, she dragged Kratos out to the beach, Noishe bounding along beside them. The salty breeze whipped through her hair as she removed her boots and socks to wade through the icy water.

"You know it's going to be cold?" he asked her as he watched her stand at the water's edge. She smiled back at him.

"It's not too bad," she replied as a wave swept over her feet. She began walking back and forwards through the water, lifting up her skirt slightly so as not to get it wet. Kratos smiled to himself as he watched her splash through the small waves, Noishe bouncing around beside her.

"Well?" she said suddenly.

"Well what?" he asked in reply.

"Well, aren't you coming in?" He smirked.

"I think not."

"Why not?" she asked, a broad grin sweeping her face.

"Are you insane? It'sgetting close towinter! That water is probably close to freezing."

"Well it is a bit chilly," she admitted, looking down at her now purpling toes, and smiling, "but I don't mind." She bent over and picked a smooth flat rock out of the water, and turned to face the ocean as she threw the rock out over the waves. She watched it skip over the surface once or twice before sinking to the ocean floor below.

Seeing this was something he could join in on without getting wet, Kratos approached the water line and picked up a rock similar to the one Anna had chosen. He threw his rock into the waves except his skipped four or five times before disappearing beneath the surface.

"Darn, you're good at that. I can rarely get them to skip four times," she commented, turning to watch him throw another. This time it skipped closer on to seven times.

"How do you do that?" He shrugged.

"Practice I suppose," he replied. He knew that if he really wanted to he could probably pull off something close to thirty, but that might seem a little too far fetched for Anna.

She threw another rock and watched it give a single feeble skip before sinking.

"It's easier on the lake," she informed him, frowning at the progress her rock hadmade. He chuckled slightly.

"Here, you're holding it wrong," he told her as she drew her arm back for another toss.

"I am?" she asked, lowering her arm. Kratos nodded, approaching her.

"More like this," he told her coming up behind her and positioning her fingers on the stone.

"Then pull your arm back like this," he said, gently guiding her hand back. Then letting go of her hand, instructed, "There, now throw it." She sent it skipping a good solid four times before it disappeared beneath the waves.

"Kratos did you see that?" she exclaimed gleefully. He smiled at her.

"That was very good, Anna."

"I'll have to tell Brian that your way of skipping rocks is better than his," she giggled, running back up the beach a little ways to retrieve her shoes. For reasons unbeknownst to him, Kratos smirked smugly to himself.

"I think it best if we head to the boat," he suggested as she returned to him, boots securely on her feet. She nodded as they headed to the harbor.

The boat they were taking was small. There was a room for the captain, and two rooms for passengers. There was a couple they were going to be sailing with, who seemed as if their hands had been glued together. The captain was a little uneasy about letting Noishe on, but in the end decided that it would be okay as long as he stayed in the cabin. They would arrive in Palmacoast the next morning.

Each of the pairs went to deposit their things in their room as the boat left the harbor. The cabins were small. There were two beds squeezed into the far corners, two tiny tables between them. There was a wardrobe next to the door and squeezed between the foot of one of the beds and the adjacent wall was a door leading to a tiny bathroom.

"I hope you don't mind it being so small," Kratos said in a slightly apologetic voice as Anna sat on the bed to the left. Noishe took up most of the floor space and Kratos had to stumble over him to get to the other bed.

"It's fine," she assured him, "Isn't this exciting? I've never been at sea before." He smiled at her innocent enthusiasm, but was doubtful as to how exciting the trip would actually be, especially with Simon and Mandy for company.

Anna sighed happily, lying back on her bed.

"I can't wait to get to Palmacoasta," she told him.

"Yes, it's a very interesting town," he replied in a somewhat distant voice.

They left their cabin when they'd settled their things. The sun was shining in an azure blue sky. A few puffy white clouds floated overhead. The smell of salt was strong on the air and the sound of the boat cutting through the water and the sails whipping in the breeze resounded across the deck.

"It's so pretty," Anna commented, leaning on the railing and looking out across the seemingly endless ocean.

"Hmm," Kratos replied joining her on the railing."

"It's a shame it's not warmer though," she stated, pulling her shawl closer around her shoulders.

"We can go back in if you want," Kratos suggested. Anna smiled.

"No, that's okay; I'd rather stay out here." Kratos shrugged, then turned his gaze back to the sea.

They were shortly joined by Mandy and Simon who were still holding the other's hand as if letting go would result in death. Kratos rolled his eyes as they passed to the other side of the boat. Anna slapped his arm with the back of her hand.

"Stop it," she scolded him.

"What? They look like a couple of love struck fools," he muttered to her.

"I think it's cute," she told him, "besides, someday you'll meet a girl and then it won't seem so foolish."

"I met you, you're a girl, and I'm not clutching onto you for dear life." She crossed her arms.

"You know what I mean." He frowned at her.

"Do I?" he asked in a sarcastically skeptical voice. Anna opened her mouth to reply, but then, upon thinking better of it, shut it and shook her head.

"Never mind," she grumbled, "just forget it." He smirked in a satisfied manner as she turned her attention back to the rolling waves.

"It looks like it goes on forever, doesn't it?" she asked, resting her head on her hand. Kratos nodded.

"How long do you think it will be until we get to Palmacoasta?"

"Not until tomorrow, miss." Both Kratos and Anna turned to see the captain standing behind them.

"Sorry to bother you," he continued, "but I was just coming to inform you that we we're having to take a slight detour. You see that island ahead of us?"-they both nodded-"We're going to have to travel around the south of it due to several incidents of monster attacks towards the North. Unfortunately this will add a couple of hours to the travel time." Kratos nodded.

"That will be fine, we're in no rush," he told him. The captain nodded to them, then crossed the deck to inform Simon and Mandy of the detour.

Kratos looked down at Anna, who bore an expression torn between annoyance and disappointment.

"Look, I'm sorry," he started, "but there's really nothing I can do about it."

"I know," she said, "but I sort of am in a bit of a hurry." Kratos smiled weakly at her.

"Well, it's not as if he's expecting you, and you haven't seen him in seven years, what's two hours going to do?"

"You're right, I'm being stupid." She turned her attention back to the water. Sensing that Anna wanted to be left alone with her own thoughts, Kratos said, "I'm going back to the cabin to check on Noishe... I'll... um... be there if you need anything." Anna nodded without looking at him, as he returned to their room.

After a cold dinner Anna returned to the cabin to find Kratos sitting on his bead.

"Hey," she said softly, stepping over Noishe and sitting on her own bed, "I know I've been a pain in the neck, but I've been thinking. I'm really thankful for all you've done for me. Tomorrow, we'll find Brian and then, well, I guess we'll go our separate ways, and probably never see each other again. And I just wanted to say thank you. You saved my life and I'll never forget you for that." He smiled slightly.

"You have every right to be a pain in the neck. I'm afraid I've been a bit hard on you. You see I'm a bit of a recluse. In my profession I rarely have much contact with people, and generally not withwomen at all. Yuan and Mithos are the only people I'd even begin to consider as friends and Mithos is a little on the commanding side. I'm just not used to people," he told her in an apologetic voice. Anna smiled, crossed over to his bed and gave him a light kiss on his cheek.

"Thanks. Now I think I'll get ready for bed," she announced, disappearing into the bathroom, leaving Kratos in a state of shock. She emerged some minutes later wearing a long sleeved, white night dress.

"Where'd you get that?" he asked gesturing to her outfit.

"I bought it in Izoold with some of the money you asked me to buy supplies with," she told him, grinning slightly.

"So I take it there was no price spike on bread."

"Nope," she said, giving a little twirl to show it off.

"Well it looks good on you," he commented, removing his gloves, cloak and boots. She giggled, climbing into her own bed. The light was turned off and soon both were asleep.

The next morning they woke just as they were approaching Palmacoasta. Anna was dressed in her brown traveling clothes and staring in awe at the sight of the city before her.

"Kratos! Look at it! It's so big!" She gasped trying to take it all in. He chuckled at her.

"Now I know you're excited," he told her as they walked through the harbor, Noishe at their heels, "But I need to go ahead and check into the inn. And I'm sure some one there can tell us where Brian lives." Anna nodded, watching a couple of men lifting a net full of fish onto a cart.

They checked into the inn and Kratos took his things, and Noishe, to his room. When he returned Anna was in the middle of writing down Brian's address. She thanked the receptionist for her information, then turned to Kratos.

"Hey, Kratos?"

"Yes, Anna?"

"Um, do you think we could do a bit of sightseeing before we go to Brian's house?" He smiled at her.

"Of course, where do you want to go?" She shrugged.

"What's there to do in Palmacoasta?"

"Quite a bit actually, there's the Palmacoasta Academy, the lighthouse, there might be something going on at the Governor-General's building, or you could just go out to the docks and watch the ships come and go." He informed her.

"How about a bit of everything?" she inquired.

So they spent the rest of the morning exploring the sights of Palmacoasta. They stopped for lunch at a shop that bragged to be "The best Palma potion store in Palmacoasta." After the meal, Kratos and Anna agreed that they probably weren't too far from their claim. By mid-afternoon Anna decided that she was finally ready to go and meet Brian.

As they wandered down the streets of Palmacoasta, drawing ever nearer to their destination, Kratos became aware of the nervous feeling in the pit of his stomach. He had become fond of Anna in their week and a half together. It would be weird not having her around. He couldn't quite bring himself to accept that she would be leaving.

Kratos was suddenly wrenched from his thoughts when he realized they'd stopped in front of a narrow townhouse wedged between several others of a similar design. The house was made of brick with dark green shutters and door. He followed Anna up the five or six concrete steps that lead up to the house. She turned to face him on the tiny porch.

"Well, I guess this is good-bye," she said slowly, looking up at him with a hint of sadness in her eyes.

"Yes, I suppose so," he said in the same slowness. There was a pause.

"Well, take care of yourself," he told her as she wrapped her arms around him. He in turn held her to his chest.

"Yeah, you too," she said quietly. They broke apart almost reluctantly as Anna turned to face the door. She took a deep breath, then rapped three times on the door with the gold door knocker. There was a tentative pause while they waited for a reply from inside. She was just about to knock again when the door swung open to reveal a young man standing in the door way. He had dark brown hair, almost the color of Anna's. He wore khaki colored pants and a green sweater. His eyes were a chocolate brown and were currently wide in shock. He was gaping at the figure before him.

"Anna?" he asked, his voice thick with disbelief, "Anna is that you?"

"Hi, Brian," she said timidly, letting a smile creep across her face.

"Dear Martel," he breathed, enveloping her in a great hug that she returned, "Dear Martel, I thought you were dead! You have no idea how good it is to see you," he told her as he let go of her to look her up and down. Suddenly a woman appeared at Brian's shoulder.

"Brian, dear, who is it?" she asked. The woman was wearing a yellow and brown dress and was holding a small child who looked no older than two.

"Right, I'm sorry," Brian said looking from the woman to Anna, "Anna this is my wife, Marietta. Marietta, this is Anna." Anna's face fell slightly, but quickly regained composure to shake Marietta's hand, she was saying, "Oh, so you're Anna. Brian's told me so much about you."

"Won't you come in?" Brian asked, finally acknowledging the presence of Kratos.

"We'd love to," Anna accepted for the both of them. Then after an inquisitive look from Brian, continued, "Oh, I'm sorry, this is Kra..."

"Kratos Aurion, Anna's... escort," he cut in. Anna made a mental note that she had not known Kratos' last name before.

"Pleased to meet you, Kratos," Brian said jovially as Anna grabbed Kratos' hand and led him into the house.

"Please, sit down," Marietta offered, gesturing to a small, dark green sofa. Kratos made himself comfortable at one end and Anna perched herself on the other side

"Tea?" Marietta asked as Brian seated himself in an armchair.

"Um, yes please," Anna accepted timidly. Kratos also accepted. Marietta nodded and took her son, and a small girl who had peaked through the kitchen doorway upstairs. When she returned she disappeared into the kitchen.

"Damn, Anna, I can't believe it," Brian said in an almost awed tone, "I can't believe it's really you."

"It's me," she said in a shy voice.

"What happened to you? We all thought you were dead."

"I can't imagine death being much worse," she replied bitterly, "It's a miracle I escaped. If it weren't for Kratos I'd be dead now."

"So... so it's true, you were taken to the ranch." Anna nodded solemnly.

"Kratos saved me and took me to Luin," Anna told him as she began to recount their travels.

Kratos took this time to take in his surroundings. The walls were royal blue in color. A fireplace was situated across from the sofa he was sitting on. It was adorned with a white mantle piece. A clock sat somewhat off center on the mantle. White bookshelves crammed with books and odd trinkets were set into the wall on either side of the fireplace. Paintings depicting sailing ships and ocean landscapes spotted the walls. A small alcove led to a staircase and another door leading to the dining room. The carpet was a blue green and a mahogany coffee table was placed in front of the sofa and two armchairs, one of which Brian was occupying.

"...And now, here we are in Palmacoasta," Anna finished as Marietta returned with a tea tray.

"Anna, milk and sugar?" she inquired.

"Yes please."

"And Mr. Aurion?"

"Just milk please, and you may call me Kratos." She nodded; serving the specified tea to each person, then took the empty armchair. She and Kratos listened in as Anna and Brian chatted about people they used to know and how things were going. Pretty soon it was growing late.

"Yes, and that was Tom you saw, he's our youngest, he's two and two months. Then we have Gabrielle, she's three," Brian was explaining. Anna was still nervously perched on the edge of her seat; she glanced nervously at the clock on the mantle.

"Brian, it's been great seeing you again, but we should probably be going." Brian frowned slightly.

"Oh, okay, where are you guys staying tonight?"

"At the local inn," Anna told him.

"Oh, well why don't you stay the night here? We have spare rooms," Brian offered. Anna opened her mouth to speak, but Kratos said, "I don't think that would be a good idea."-All turned to look at him.-"Though Anna escaped from the ranch, the Desians are still looking for her. We wouldn't want to put you and your family in danger." Anna knew he was thinking of Alden and knew he was right, but still, it would've been nice to stay with him for a while. Brian's face fell slightly.

"Oh... well then would you at least like to stay for dinner?" Anna gave Kratos a pleading look, he nodded and Anna smiled saying, "We'd love to, thanks."

So Marietta disappeared into the kitchen again to prepare dinner, leaving Anna and Brian to chatter away again as Kratos listened to them with mild interest.

After a while Marietta returned and announced that dinner was ready. The group followed her into the dining room. Kratos seated himself on the far side of the table across from Anna. Brian sat next to Anna and Marietta across from him. The food was already on the table and Brian began serving immediately.

After the food was served and all were settled Anna said, "So, exactly how did you two meet?" gesturing to Brian and Marietta. The two smiled at each other.

"Well," Brian started, "About a year or so after you... you were taken to the ranch Marietta came to Luin with her father. It was a business trip. You see he's a fisherman and, well, my dad and him were working together so I saw a lot of Marietta. Then... then your parents died and as you know I was always close with them, and even more so after you disappeared. Marietta sort of helped me through that and we became really close. Then after a while we began seeing each other more regularly, and then eventually we got married. But Marietta wanted to live in her hometown so, here we are. What about you two? What's your current relationship?" Kratos and Anna looked at each other.

"Oh, we're just friends," Kratos was saying, but at the same time Anna said, "We're just going out." Kratos gaped at Anna, and Marietta and Brian looked from one to the other.

"Well, what I meant to say is that we're not going out yet, but we're thinking about it," Anna explained kicking Kratos under the table and giving him a significant look. If not for Kratos' equanimity the next few minutes of conversation might have been very awkward, but he smiled and decided to play along.

"Oh, well you might want to get a move on, Kratos, or else she might just say 'no' to teach you a lesson," Brian said with a teasing look at Anna.

"Hey! I just did that to you because you waited six months. I haven't even known Kratos that long." Brian chuckled at her indignant reaction.

"You're a lucky man, Kratos Aurion, Anna's a good girl," he said with a fond look at Anna. Kratos gave a slight smile in return and said, "Yes, but you'd be hard pressed to come by one more annoying."

Brian laughed saying, "I'll drink to that!" Anna kicked Kratos under the table and then slapped Brian's arm when he laughed.

"Aww, come now Anna, don't be so harsh," Brian teased. She glared at him for a second before grinning and saying, "I'm not being harsh, you deserved it." Brian laughed and turned back to his food. Soon conversation was struck up again. Anna wanted to hear all about Brian's fishing business that he had started up in Palmacoasta. After dinner Marietta cleaned up the plates and served coffee, which was followed by more conversation. Finally at around midnight, Kratos and Anna made a move to leave.

"Kratos, it was nice to meet you," Brian said shaking Kratos' hand.

"Yes and you, thanks for dinner." Brian then turned to Anna who was just finishing thanking Marietta.

"Well, Anna, it was wonderful to see you again."

"Yes, thank you... for everything," she said quietly, wrapping her arms around him tightly, he returned her embrace. When at last they broke apart he said, "You know, Anna, you'll always have a place here. If you ever need help or just moral support, we'll be right here." Anna nodded as the door was opened on the streets of Palmacoasta. They walked down the steps where they said one last good-bye before Anna and Kratos walked into the night.

The moon and stars were shining brightly overhead. Anna was the first to speak.

"Kratos, I'd just like to say thank you for playing along back there. It's just that I didn't want Brian to worry about me or about him leaving me or whatever."

"I understand."

"So I guess you're still stuck with me," her tone told him that she was still thinking about that evening, despite her attempt to move the conversation forward.

"You miss him already, don't you?" Anna nodded, quietly. The two walked in silence, side by side, each lost in their own thoughts, but happy with the other's company as they made their way back to the inn.

**A/N: Haha! It's done! Please review and hopefully the next chapter will be out soon!**


	6. Angel's Struggle

**A/N: I'm soooo soooo sooooo sorry this has taken so long for me to update, but I have a lot on my plate right now so I can't promise the next one's going to be out really soon, but with a little bit of luck it will be out quicker than this one was. Also I've given up on titles, so until I get some genius stroke of inspiration the chapters will be refered to by number. Now to reply to reviewers! Thank you for reviewing!**

**Kusai-bito: thanks, I'm glad you like it. Here's the next chapter!**

**Kratos Wilder: Thanks, Here's more! Now you can finally be unbored! lol. sorry it took so long...**

**MindTricks: ek, it wasn't very quick I'm sorry, but I'm glad you're enjoying it lol**

**Moogle Empress: Thanks, sorry it took so long, but here it is none the less.**

**Kratos Aurion Fan: Thanks, here's more, sorry it took so long...**

**iheartruins: Thank you for editing for me (even though I can just thank you in person...)**

**luvluvkisskiss:Yay for Kranna fans! Lol**

**Lyra the Sorceress of Scholars: I'm glad you like it. Here's the next chapter (finally)**

**Disclaimer: I still don't own Tales of Symphonia...**

**Chapter VI**

The next morning Kratos awoke from hisplace on the sofa to find Anna still fast asleep in the bed. He decided to leave her, feeling she had earned a sleep-in. After slipping on hisboots he crept downstairs Kratos looked around. The receptionist was nowhere to be found.He continued to the back, wherethere was a small restaurant overlooking the sea.Kratos took a seat at a table next to a window on the back wall. Looking out the window, he knew that when Anna joined him she would enjoy the view.

A waitress came along shortly to take his order.

"Just coffee, thanks," he told her,"I'm waiting for someone." The girl nodded and left, leaving Kratos alone with his thoughts. The question _What now? _made itself prominent in his mind. It seemed that he'd reached a dead end. Although he didn't like to admit it, he was almost happy about this prospect. In any case, he would have to talk to Anna before making their next move. It was important to find out whether she had any other family or friends that would take her in or, if necessary, if she couldget a place of her own. His coffee was brought to him shortly. Silently, he sat sipping it and gazing outat the sea.

Anna entered the restaurant looking around for any sign of Kratos. She quickly spotted him sitting alone at a table for two. She walked over and sat across from him.

"Good morning," he greeted her with a slight smile.

Anna merely nodded her head and turned her attention to the ocean.

"Are you okay?" he asked, watching her actions.

She nodded wordlessly, sighing heavily.

Kratos rolled his eyes and said, "Come now, Anna I'm not stupid. What's on your mind?"

"It's nothing," she muttered "You wouldn't understand."

Kratos raised his eyebrows.

"Try me,"he said.

Anna sighed again, not looking at him. "You wouldn't under stand she repeated. Finally, she met his gaze with a deep sadness in her eyes "You have no idea how I feel right now. It's like I'm looking through a window at the rest of the world, but not allowed to be a part of it. Almost like I'm dead or something...a ghost. It's as if time is passing all around me, but it's leaving me behind, and there's no way to get it back. There's no way for me to go back and put myself into the normal routine of everyday life. My parents won'tcome back. Brian can't just give up his family for me. It's all lost. I am no longer a part of it. You have no idea how that feels."

"You'd be surprised," he murmured, dropping his gaze to the now empty cup of coffee. The two sat in silence. Kratos half-expected her to burst into tears, but her eyes didn't even water. She just sat, staring out the window.

"Kratos" she trailed off, her voice sounding like she had just finished crying "What's going to happen to me? I have nowhere else to go..."

He looked at her and gave a heavy-hearted sigh. "Truthfully, I don't know.I don't even know what is to become of myself, but you're welcome to come along with me for awhile, or at least until you can find somewhere to settle down and start over."

Anna nodded solemnly. "What about this?" she asked fingering the gem centered below her neck.

"I think it would be best if we waited to talk to Yuan about that. Right now I think it is best that we both just have some breakfast." Kratos signaled to the waitress who came over to their table immediately. The two ordered then sat in silence as they awaited their breakfast.

Food did seem to cheer Anna up a bit. It even seemed safe to attempt conversation with her. Kratos took a chance "If you're going to come with me we'll need to buy some more supplies I would suggest you get a heavy coat Winter nights can be bitterly cold."

Anna nodded, then changed the subject "Do youreally think the Desians are still after me?"

It was Kratos's turn to nod. "I'm certain of it," he told her "If they followed you to Izoold, then there is no doubt that they want what you have and will use any means to retrieve it. Even if we manage to get rid of the Desians, Mithos still has people looking for me. It's best that we don't stay in any one place too long."

"Where to, then?" she asked, "Where can we find Yuan?"

"Unfortunately we can't. He will have to find us. We'll just have to head over to Asgard and hope we run into him along the way."

"Asgard? Can we go on to Luin after that?"

"Maybe, but I can't promise anything. I think it would be a good idea to try heading to Triet."

Anna nodded slowly before finally returning to her food.

* * *

After breakfast Kratos and Anna, along with Noishe packed up, restocked on supplies, and left Palmacosta.Anna had purchasedalong red coat for the winter. It suited her well in Kratos' opinion. However, Anna had gone silent again. She hadn't said a word since they left Palmacosta. This perpetual silence was making him uncomfortable. He didn't like this side of her. It made him feel...well, guilty. Nonetheless, Kratos took comfort in the fact that at least shewas still with him. 

It was around noon by the time they reached the Palmacosta House of Salvation. Anna gave him a pleading look and said, "I don't suppose there's any chance we can stop and have lunch here."

"I'm afraid not," Kratos told her "You know I can't go there, and as long as you're with me you're going to have to..."

"Kratos!" a familiar voice cut him off. Kratos turned to see who had called him.

"Yuan! Anna called out to the approaching blue-haired seraph "Just the person we wanted to see."

"Me? You wanted to see me?" Yuan asked with a curious look at Kratos.

Kratos nodded in return."Yes I...we need to talk to you about her exsphere, "he explained gesturing toward the jewel on Anna's neck.

"I see. Well then, we'd be better off going inside," he said, making a move towards the House of Salvation.

"Wait," Kratos commanded.

Yuan stopped and gave him a puzzled look.

"Do you really think it's safe for me to go in there?"

Yuan nodded and said reassuringly "Don't worry about it. Mithos stationed me here, albeit it was by my request. Anyway, I'm the only one of Mithos' men for a couple of miles."

"You don't know how good that is to hear," Anna told him, a broad grin sweeping across her face. Yuan gave a slight smile back.

"Anything for a friend of Kratos."

The three ascended the stairs of the House of Salvation leaving Noishe outside.

"Did you make it to the Toize Valley mines?" Kratos asked Yuan.

"Yes, unfortunately I was caught. I made up some story about being tipped off that you might be there."

"And Mithos believed this?"

"I think so."

Anna looked from Yuan to Kratos, a puzzled expressionon her face. "Toize mines?"she asked from the bed upon which she had seated herself.

"Never mind," Kratos told her sternly. He turned his attention back to his old friend "So what now?"

Yuan sighed. "I have no idea. You say it's only half a Cruxis Crystal?"

Kratos nodded.

"But how are they doing that? What's causing the transformation?"

"No idea Anna, do you know anything about it?"

The now confused young woman shook her head. "When I arrived at the ranch they gave me an exsphere just like everyone else.Then about a year ago they separated me from the other prisoners...something about me being compatible for their experiment. They gave me a key crest so they could remove my old exsphere and then gave me a new one."

"A new one?" Yuan inquired.

"Yes, well, I think it's a new one, but as far as I can tell they're the same" Kratos and Yuan exchanged looks.

"Anna, may we take a look atyour exsphere?" Yuan asked.

"Um, sure," she said tentatively, unfastening the top button on her shirt, revealing the glittering gem right below her collarbone.

"Kratos! How could you not notice this?" Yuan exclaimed.

"Notice what?"

"Look. Her exsphere already has a key crest."

"What are you talking about?"

"Don't you seet hat little ring of metal around the exsphere?"

"Yuan, that's not a key crest."

"Well then, what is it?"

"I don't know, but that's not inhibitor ore. It's mythril."

"So it's a fake?"

Kratos nodded.

"Do you think this is what's causing the transformation?"

"Yes. I'm almost certain of it."

"Well, then let's take it off," Anna said suddenly.

"Ah, well, I don't think that is such a good idea," Kratos said slowly.

"Yuan, what do you think?" Anna demanded.

"Well, honestly I'm on your side. Kratos, why don't you think we should take it off?"

"Because we have no idea how that would affect her. I mean, have you ever taken off just a key crest? And it's not like we can remove both, because I know that won't work like a real key crest."

"But that's not inhibitor ore. It shouldn't have any effect," Yuan argued.

"But it _does. _It's turning that thing into a Cruxis Crystal which means we shouldn't try anything until we learn more about it. I'm not willing to take that kind of risk" He looked at Anna "I'm sorry, but you're just going to have to put up with it until we come up with a new plan."

"So I suppose you still want me to get a key crest," Yuan interjected. Kratos nodded.

"Then what? I suppose we equip it then remove the exsphere along with the fake key crest?"

"I don't know," Kratos sighed.We don't know how the mythril will react with the inhibitor ore. I need you to research the Angelus project. Find out as much as you can about how it works and the effects it has on the human body."

Yuan nodded in agreement "Kratos, there is something I need to discuss with you. Anna, if you don't mind, would you step outside for a little while?"

Anna nodded, giving them a reproachful look

"Just go downstairs," Kratos told her. "I don't think you should leave the building."

She nodded again as she left the room.

"I don't know what to make of her," Yuan voiced aloud onceAnna was well out of earshot

"What do you mean?" Kratos asked, almost sounding concerned.

"I don't know, she just seems like such a little girl."

"Well, she is from our stand point."

"Kratos, _everyone_ is young from our stand point."

Kratos shrugged then said, "Come on Yuan, you're a busy man. That can't possibly be what you wanted to discuss."

"It's not, but it _is_ about Anna."

Kratos raised his eyebrows."What about Anna?"

"I think you should take her to Iselia."

"Iselia?"

"Yes. That is where the Chosen's family lives Mithos won't have the Desians or Cruxis causing trouble there."

"But if she goes to Iselia I won't be able to go with her," Kratos said without thinking, something he hadn't done in a few thousand years.

Yuan gaped at him. "And why should that matter?" he demanded to know.

Kratos felt the color rise in his cheeks underYuan's scrutinizing gaze and realized that he was embarrassed, an unpleasant feeling that hadn't surfaced for a good century or so.

"It doesn't," he said quickly, "I'm just so used to going everywhere with her thatI just assumed..."

"Kratos, it's been maybe a week since you met her. She's practically a stranger."

"I believe one can learn more about a person by just living with her for a week than by just seeing her every day for a month."

"Oh really? Tell me, Kratos, how much does she know about you? I don't suppose that by just living with her for a week she's found out that you're really a four-thousand year old angel who is at the top of the organization that's making her life a living hell."

Kratos looked away from Yuan and muttered, "Of course she hasn't."

"Kratos, it's in her best interests that you take her to Iselia. No good will come of you getting attached to her."

"So then what? Are you saying I should return to Cruxis?"

"No. If anything, I'm glad you finally took a stand against Mithos. I'd do the same, but it's more usefulfor me to be an inside man."

"But I can't just aimlessly wander the worlds avoiding Mithos' men for eternity. Maybe it'd be better if..."

"No," Yuan interrupted firmly, "It would certainly not be better if you returned to Cruxis. Look, you just take Anna to Iselia, and then we can talk about what you'll do next."

"But what if she doesn't want to?"

"Kratos, this is ridiculous. First of all, you're not going to give her a reason to doubt going. Secondly, if she values her life she will avoid hanging around you, and as hard as that might be to hear it's the truth, and you know it."

Kratos sighed deeply "You're right, of course."

Yuan smirked then said, "You two should get going if you want to reach Asgard before tomorrow." He handed Kratos two large sacks of gald "Take these. You'll need them"

"Thanks," Kratos said putting the weighty bags at the bottom of his pack.

The two descended the stairs to find Anna lying on her back, her head resting on her hands as she examined the ceiling. The two men exchanged glances of surprise.

"Anna?" Kratos queried. She sat up, a broad grin stretching across her face.

"Finally,"Anna said impatiently, "You have the pack with the food in it."

Kratos sighed, shaking his head, and handed his pack to her.

"Do you want me to make you a sandwich or something?" she asked him.

"Please."

"Yuan, do you want one?"

"Thank you, but I must decline "I have work to do. Kratos, I'll be in touch. Goodbye, Anna."

"Bye," she replied from the floorupon which she was arranging different ingredients between slices of bread. Yuan ascended the stairs leaving Kratos and Anna alone.

"Hey, Anna" Kratos started.

"Yeah?"

"I think it would be a good idea to set off again."

"But we haven't eaten yet," she complained.

"We can eat and walk at the same time. Better yet, we can ride Noishe and eat at the same time."

"Oh, okay" She stood up, sandwiches in hand.

"What's put you in a good mood all of a sudden?"

"Food," Anna explained, grinning. She extended a hand bearing a sandwich to Kratos, who shook his head and accepted it. "Can both of us fit on Noishe?" she asked as they left the building.

Kratos nodded. "We used to be able to squeeze four of us on him, but then again one of us was only fourteen at the time."

Anna giggled at the thought, forming a rather amusing picture in her mind.

The two mounted Noishe, taking turns holding the sandwiches as the other clambered on. Anna sat in front munching happily on her sandwich as Noishe headed in the direction of Hakonesia Peak

"You're really easy to please, you know that?" Kratos declared,watching Anna.

"Only when I'm hungry," she responded with a smile.

He grinned appreciatively, then took a bite of his sandwich. He made a gagging sound so abruptly that Anna turned around in shock; however, she relaxed when she realized that he was just being over-dramatic. She laughed to see him spitting out the bite.

"That's disgusting,"Anna chided. He made a face at her.

"Not as disgusting as what you put in there,"Kratos retorted childishly.

She frowned at him, a confused expression on her face.

"Tomatoes," he explained, "Damn disgusting things."

At this, she burst out laughing.

"It's not that funny," he told her.

"I'm sorry," she said wiping a tear from her eye, "but you just don't strike me as a picky eater."

He looked at her for a moment before saying, "I'm not. I'll eat anything...except these."

This sent Anna into another fit of giggles.

He rolled his eyes and decided to change the subject.

"Anna," he addressed her slowly, "How do you feel about Iselia?"

Anna stopped laughing. She looked at him, puzzled.

"What do you mean? I've never been so obviously I can't form an opinion about it."

"Well, how would you feel about living there?"

"I don't know, why?"

"Well, Yuan and I thought it would probably be the best place for you to stay."

"_Me_ to stay? You'll take me there, right?"

"Yes, I will take you there." he told her truthfully.

"Good," she said, grinning, "because I don't know the way."

He smiled warmly at her before returning to picking the tomatoes out of his sandwich.

* * *

The two decided to pitch camp at the foot of Hakonesia Peak, a little ways from the gate. 

Anna fell asleep in good spirits. Kratos; however, was not in such a good mood. Thoughts of Anna and Iselia ran through his mind until he drifted off to sleep.

He awoke with a start. His heart was pounding in his chest and he was breathing heavily. He looked over to see Anna, safely sleeping beside Noishe. He sighed lying back down and running his fingers through his sweat-drenched hair. There was no sign of dawn on the horizon except the slightly faded stars that lay close to the ground. He sighed, trying to calm himself. He was not used to night terrors.

He had been walking with Anna on their way to Iselia. She was giggling happily and running ahead of him.

"Come on Kratos,"she had called to him, smiling. He was just moving to catch up with her when suddenlythe world went dark.The only things he could make out were the faint outlines of trees and mountains, and then Anna clearly illuminated as if it were daylight. Two figures appeared in the darkness.

It was one of those peculiar instances where in the dream one knows exactly what something is, but upon waking up one realizes that, in fact,what was imagined in the dream is completely different from what the object actually looks like.

In the dream Kratos recognized the creatures as angels; however, they looked nothing like the angels Kratos knew in real life. They were about as twice as tall as normal human beings.Their skin was gray and their eyes were red with cat-like pupils. They had bald heads and very sharp pointed teeth. Their bodies were disproportional their legs were long and spindly, about three times as long as their stumpy arched bodies. Their arms were similar in structure to the legs, but longer. They were so long that their hands dragged along the ground.The fingers were long, curled and slender, each tipped with a razor sharp nail. The "angels" sneered at him as they grabbed hold ofAnna, their nails cutting her skin. She screamed as they dragged her into the darkness.

Kratos yelled and ran after them. His heart was pounding in his chest. Suddenly, he stopped staring aghast at the creatures that stood before him. The "angels" were holding Anna between them. She was still alive, but there were deep gashes in her arms and cuts all over her face. She was staring at him in horror, her eyes begging him for help.

"Well now Kratos," one of the creatures addressed him, a sickly grin on its visage, "Why the surprised look?"

"Yes," the otherchimed in "You knew this was going to happen."

The pleading look in Anna's eyes changed to one of fear and disbelief. Kratos; however, was too shocked to say anything.

"What's the matter? Not going to rescue her?" The first asked.

At that Kratos tried to move, but found that he couldn't.

"Not going to save her, eh?"said the other maliciously.

Kratos opened his mouth to protest, but no sound came out when he did.

The "angels" exchanged a glance then shrugged. "Fine, we warned you."

There was a sickening sound as Anna screamed and then...

Kratos sighed, staring up at the stars. He would worry about it all in the morning. These were his last thoughts before he drifted back into a more peaceful sleep.

**A/N: Well I hope you enjoyed it. And once again I'm soooo sorry that took forever for me to finish. Hopefully the next one won't take me four months to finish... please review!**


	7. Angel's Decisions

**A/N: I am so, so, soooo sorry that this took FOREVER to finish…. I haven't given up! Thanks to all who reviewed I really appreciate it! Also, I brought the titles back, just for you MindTricks, LoL. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Tales of Symphonia…**

**Angel's Decisions **

Anna smiled jovially as she began to recognize her surroundings. They were approaching Asgard just a little before noon. She glanced back at Kratos, who had his arms crossed and was staring at the ground before him, apparently deep in thought. She fell back and was soon in step with him.

"What are you thinking about?" she inquired, looking up at him and grinning. He looked down at her with a slightly surprised expression on his face.

"Nothing that concerns you," he told her, then returned to his thoughts. She was slightly offended by his brusqueness, but had learned not to take it so personally. She approached Noishe, who was walking happily a few paces ahead, and scratched him behind the ears.

"He seems to like you well enough," she told the dog-like creature. Noishe yapped in response.

"I guess he just prefers animals to people."

At this Kratos looked up at her. "That's not true, I just happen to like Noishe more than most people." Anna giggled, shaking her head.

"Let's just face it, Kratos, you're just an introverted guy who'd rather be alone than with other living things." He opened his mouth to speak, paused and thought for a second, then said, "That may be true, but that doesn't mean I can't have company sometimes. Yuan and Mithos for example." Anna frowned.

"Mithos? Even though he's hunting you you'd still consider him a friend?"

"Yuan and Mithos are like brothers to me, we're the only family any of us have known for years. Brothers fight, and even if we sometimes disagree we've shared experiences that have changed us all so drastically that it is impossible for any of us not to feel connected to one another."

Anna was silent, she seemed to have struck a nerve. But Kratos had returned to his cross-armed thoughts, and looked as if not a word had passed between them. Anna's mind began to wander too. She didn't really know that much about Yuan or Mithos, nor Kratos for that matter. Her guess was that Yuan was also a mercenary, becausehe had the same indifferent, almost cold air to him. Mithos she knew even less about. She knew that he had connections within the church, and from what Kratos had said in Luin, Mithos had been his student. So, Mithos was probably the younger of the two.

She paused for a second from her thoughts and glanced at Kratos. What did she really know about this man? Well, he was definitely older than her, or at least he acted like it. He was a mercenary who seemed to be full of worldly knowledge.He was a very rational person who seemed to be constantly thinking about something. He was and probably always would be an enigma to her. She wondered what exactly had happened to him to make him behave the way he did. Whatever it was it had happened to Yuan as well, and probably Mithos. 'We've shared experiences that have changed us so drastically that it is impossible for any of us not to feel connected to one another.' That's what he said. And what about Martel? Martel… Of course, she thought, Kratos had said that Martel had died a while ago. Perhaps that was the reason they acted the way they did.

She shot Kratos an almost sympathetic look. Kratos caught her eye this time.

"What's wrong?" he asked her, and she realized how out of context her expression must have been.

"It's nothing," she told him quickly. He shrugged and said, "You said you've been to Asgard before?" She nodded, "Yup, my dad took me once when I was eight. I was so excited to be visiting another town." He grinned at her.

"Well I guess now you're getting to see a lot more than just Asgard." She laughed and completely forgot about Martel for the moment.

* * *

When they reached Asgard, they checked into the small inn at the edge of town. Anna loved this town. She loved the crooked streets and the split level style of the whole thing, but her favorite part was the stone dais at the top of the city. So as soon as Noishe and the rest of their things were safely at the inn, she and Kratos set off up and down the streets of Asgard.

"You know we're just staying the night here?" he asked her as Anna dragged him down another flight of stairs.

"Yeah, that's why I want to go now."

"What's so great about the dais anyway?" he grumbled. She shook her head.

"It's not the dais," she told him.

"Then why are you dragging me all the way up these steps?"

"You'll see," she told him with a grin on her face. He sighed as they continued up the monumental amount of steps to the stone dais.

"Here," she told him as they reached the final step.

"The stone dais," he pointed out.

"No, not the stone dais," she told him, pointing out away from the city. Had this happened the same way four thousand years ago he might have been impressed, but now the landscape didn't interest him as much as it did Anna. Nevertheless, he couldn't help to admit that it was quite beautiful. The winds of Sylph blew across the horizon.

"Well," he told her, "I can see why you'd want to come here." She smiled back.

"Isn't it beautiful?" He nodded.

"Anna, I wish I could be as carefree as you…" she stared at him.

"What do you mean by that?"

"Nothing, never mind."

The two went back to the main part of town. They stopped by a small stand that was selling supplies, then went back to the inn.

The next morning they went to a small clothing store. There Anna bought a pretty brown overcoat. As they were leaving the food shop Anna looked up at Kratos, whose expression had suddenly changed.

"What's wro…" she started, but was cut off as Kratos rapidly drew his sword and slashed at a figure who Anna hadn't even seen coming. In a flash of metal the Desian lay dead at their feet, his drawn dagger still in hand.

"Come on," Kratos instructed, grabbing her wrist, "we've got to get out of here." With that they fled down the steps, past the inn and out of Asgard in the direction of Luin. When Kratos noticed that Anna was getting tired he stopped for a moment while she caught her breath.

"You do realize this means that we can't stop in Luin, and probably not in Hima either. Once they find out that their hit man is dead they'll have men crawling all over Luin, Hima, and quite possibly Izoold too. So we'll be heading straight for Triet." She nodded, a shocked expression still etched on her face.

"Here, we'll be faster if you ride Noishe." She nodded again and wordlessly mounted Noishe.

* * *

Over the next few days the two made their way to Triet, camping at various points along the way. The two began to become more comfortable around each other, and began to get accustomed to the other's sense of humor. Kratos learned that Anna was actually a very well-read person, and Anna learned that Kratos had a wealth of worldly experience and a broad knowledge of history.

By the time they made it out of Ossa Trail they could talk to one another as if they'd known each other for years.

"Noishe," Anna said to the animal, a large grin on her face, "I don't know why you've put up with him for this long." She remarked in response to another tease from Kratos, who was also smiling broadly.

"He doesn't manage to get every twig and leaf caught in his hair," Kratos pointed out as Anna tried to brush more dead leaves out of her hair, as she had just walked through another branch.

"Well at least I can keep my hair tidy apart from that," she retorted. He laughed.

"Would you like to try and make it lie flat?" he asked. She giggled.

"Hasn't Yuan showed you how to take care of it? He has such pretty hair." At this Kratos burst out laughing.

"I swear, Anna, before you came along I would never even dream of having this conversation." She giggled as she realized how absurd the thought of Kratos and Yuan discussing the best way to care for hair really was.

The two continued joking and talking until they reached Triet. Anna was absolutely fascinated by this town. It was so different from anywhere she'd ever been before. The way people dressed, the style of the buildings and even the climate was unique solely to Triet. Unlike the majority of Sylvarant the staple food was not fish, despite the oasis that the town was centered around. Anna loved the market place like streets and the buildings that were half under ground to escape the desert's heat. This town was exotic to Anna and perhaps that was what made it so appealing to her. Though she highly doubted that she could stand the blazing noon temperatures come mid-summer.

Kratos was right, she decided, Triet was definitely the place to wait out the winter; however, she wondered whether Efreet's flame would keep them warm after the desert sun had slipped below the horizon.

"Are we staying here long?" she asked Kratos as they walked through the dusty streets.

"Probably just the night," Kratos replied, "Iselia is almost a day's walk from here.

"Oh," she said with downcast eyes. That meant she could begin counting down the hours until she began life anew in Iselia. A quaint, little town that she had never visited before in her life, and now, it was about to become her home. She knew that Iselia had a non-aggression treaty with the Desians to protect the Chosen's family from harm. That meant she would be safe from Kvar and those he sent after her, despite the fact that there was a Human Ranch just outside the village.

"Anna?" Kratos removed her from her thoughts.

"Hmm?"

"It's getting late. Do you want to get anything to eat?"

"Yes please," she replied, the smile returning to her face. Kratos smiled to himself. Nothing like food to cheer her up.

They made their way to a small restaurant hidden among the various shops and stalls open onto the streets. Anna was eager to try the food Triet had to offer.

Kratos stared at her as she ordered her food.

"What is it?" she asked as the waiter left.

"Nothing," he replied as he shifted his gaze. She giggled and took a slip of water.

"What's so funny?" he asked her.

"Nothing," she replied a sly grin on her face. He crossed his arms.

"Okay, point taken. If you really must know, I was thinking of how quiet it's going to be once you're gone."

She frowned. "Well, I suppose you could always visit me."

"Actually Anna, I'm afraid I can't."

"What do you mean?" she asked, a concerned expression on her face.

"Well…as a mercenary it's my job to carry out tasks I'm paid for."-she nodded-"Let's just say that a task or two of mine made me some enemies in Iselia, and for my safety and the safety of others, I am forbidden from going there. She stared at him in amazement.

"So let me get this straight. You plan to take me to the outskirts of Iselia, drop me off in a place that I have never been to in my life, and just say 'here you go, now fend for yourself'?" she said her voice glazed with anger.

"Anna, it's not really like that. Look, I'm really sorry about the unfortunate circumstances, but I can't change them now. Had I known I would've been in this situation at the time I wouldn't have taken on the job. Oh, by the way, I wouldn't mention my name while you're there, you won't get any sympathy." She put a hand over her eyes and rubbed them.

"Dear Martel, this is not what I was expecting."

"Oh really? Just what were you expecting?"

"Well at the very least I was hoping that you would help me move in," she told him.

"I'm sorry to disappoint you, but I'm sure if you talk to the mayor or even the Chosen's family that they would be pleased to help you settle in."

"Are you sure? Kratos, I'm really uneasy about this whole thing."

"Don't be," he told her, "the Chosen's family are some of the nicest people you will ever meet. Besides Iselia is a small town. I promise you'll fit right in." A small smile returned to her face.

"Well, I suppose if it's too bad I can always come and find you."

"There you go," he said, "Now don't worry about a thing. Besides, I couldn't help you move in. What do I know about interior decorating." She laughed.

Kratos managed to quickly change the subject and soon the broad grin that he had come to know so well returned to her face.

"After dinner Anna and Kratos made their way to the inn. They put Noishe in a small stable outside just the inn.

"We're very busy this time of year," the desk clerk informed them, "I'll see if we have any thing left." Anna and Kratos exchanged a look as the man rifled through papers.

"Yes, here we go," he said triumphantly, pulling out a sheet of paper, "I'm afraid that the only room we have left has only two single beds. Is that alright?"

"That's perfect," Kratos said presenting the gald.

"Yes, we're not really a couple," Anna told him.

"Anna, I can almost guarantee that that man doesn't care if we're a couple or not as long as we give him money." Kratos informed her on their way up the stairs.

"So? I felt that he should know." Kratos shook his head as they entered the room.

"If there's anything I've learned about people it's that they'll do anything for money."

"You don't think I know that already?" she asked, placing her things on the bed furthest from the door." Kratos grinned.

"Well I feel that I should leave you with some good advice."

"You mean beyond a trip around the world and a crash course in traveling?"

"Yes, apart from that," he chuckled.

* * *

The next morning when Anna woke, the desert sun was shining on her face and Kratos was already awake and fully dressed.

"What time is it?" She mumbled as she rolled onto her back.

"I'd say about time for you to get up," Kratos told her. She propped herself on her elbow.

"That's not much of an answer," she giggled, putting her feet on the floor and stretching. He smirked at her, and she laughed.

"Turn around now, I'm changing," she told him pulling her brown skirt out of her bag. Kratos sighed and did as he was told. Anna promptly pulled off her nightdress and proceeded dressing, buttoning her shirt down the middle and slipping on her skirt.

"Okay, I'm dressed," she informed him. He turned around to see Anna standing there, bright eyed and smiling. He grinned and said, "So how about breakfast?"

"Yes please," she said enthusiastically.

They returned to the same place that they had gone for dinner the night before. When their meal was brought to them Anna began eating immediately. Kratos was reminded of the first breakfast they had shared at Alden's, and suddenly he became aware of the reason Anna was always thinking of food and always seemed to be hungry. They had starved her at that place, and yet Kratos had always just passed off her appetite as a little quirk that made Anna, Anna.

It was this realization that suddenly brought new respect to him for her. She was a much stronger woman than she let on. Sure, she complained about things every now and again, and sometimes seemed easily disappointed, but he had a feeling that this was an act to cover up what was really bothering her. He also believed that given motivation, she could get what she wanted and wasn't afraid to do so.

Perhaps this was what he liked about her. It was a quality that Yuan, Mithos, and Martel had possessed. In fact, Kratos felt that under different circumstances she would have fit in well with them all those years ago.

It was with this new respect that he, Anna, and Noishe set off for Iselia. The smile that appeared on Anna's face that morning had yet to leave, and Kratos was beginning to feel that same dread of parting that he had felt in Palmacoasta. However, he was not about to let Anna sense this and ruin her good mood. After all, they had a good day's walk to get there.

"Well Anna, once we get to Iselia you'll have seen every city in Sylvarant," Kratos told her, a slight smile on his face.

"Not bad for a sheltered girl from Luin, eh?" she replied, grinning in return.

As they left the desert, the temperature began to drop drastically. When the House of Salvation came into view, Anna finally broke down and put on her coat. It wasn't until the House of Salvation was just out of view that they stopped for lunch. However, it wasn't until they could see Iselia that Kratos noticed a change in Anna's disposition.

She had closed herself up as she so often had. Her eyes had become downcast and a tense nervousness enveloped her body. Seeing this, Kratos put a comforting arm around her and said, "Don't worry, it'll be fine." She looked up at him with her bright green eyes.

"Kratos, I don't think I can go through with this," she told him softly. He smiled gently at her.

"Why not?"

"Because…" she hesitated, "…because I like what I have now." Kratos looked at her with a puzzled expression on her face.

"What do you mean by that?"

"Well, for the first time in seven years, I have someone who I can truly call a friend. I love traveling, but honestly I think it's the company that I enjoy more. Kratos, you're great to talk to, you make me laugh, and you've saved my life more times than one. You're the big brother I never had. Why should I give up a life I'm satisfied with for one unknown?"

"Because the life you have now is dangerous. Anna, it is truly in your best interests to go to Iselia. When you are with me your life is at stake," he told her firmly. At this Anna stopped and stared him down.

"Kratos, my life has been in danger every day for the past seven years. Every day I woke up not knowing whether I was going to live through the day. But now I've been given a chance to live, and I am damned well not going to waste this opportunity sitting safely in Iselia," she told him sternly, "If living at the ranch taught me anything it would be to take the time you have now and live it to the fullest, tomorrow may never come, that's what today is for." He stared back into her green eyes that were now blazing with passion, then sighed.

"Of course you're right, Anna," he said in a defeated tone, "but, damn, I wish you'd said that this morning when we were still in Triet." A grin began to creep over her face, as Kratos stood there looking helpless in the situation.

"I'll tell you what, Anna, we'll go back to Triet, wait out the winter, and then talk. But I swear, if things get bad, I'm taking you to Iselia." She nodded, as they turned around and headed in the other direction.

"Damn, Yuan's not going to be happy about this," Kratos grumbled.

"Why not?" inquired Anna, whose spunk seemed to be returning.

"Because this was his idea in the first place." Anna laughed.

"Well, at least we won't have to deal with that for a while."

"Yeah, you're right," Kratos responded as they headed back towards the desert.

**A/N: Uh… sorry that wasn't as good as past chapters (or at least that's what I thought) but I'll try to get the next one out soon… I'm going away for a week, have one week at home, and then I'm off to England for a month (And I know there will be plenty of time to write on the airplane…Yay!) but when I'll be able to post the next chapter is another story… Please Read and Review!**


	8. Angel's Smile

**A/N: I finished chapter 8! YAY! Uh, I don't have much to say about that one except I personally think it's a lot better than the last chapter... (hope you agree) Oh yeah, I should probably go ahead and apologize for Kratos' slight OOCness. Well ne way, thanks to all who reviewed! I hope you all enjoy this next chapter!**

**Well when I loaded this chap. the first time I just posted it and then left it, but then I looked at it and the format was bugging me... so I fixed it... lol, enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Tales of Symphonia... but I wish I did...**

**Angel's Smile**

Five months had passed since that fateful day when Kratos Aurion had rescued a young girl from her desian pursuers. Now, that young girl was sitting opposite him on the balcony of the Luin inn and basking in the warm mid-spring sunlight. She was now clad in a white sleeveless button-down shirt and a simple patterned red skirt. The smile on her face was unchanging as she gazed out over her hometown.

Kratos watched the girl, no, young woman whom he had grown fond of. Their relationship had become more sophisticated than it had been several months ago. They had progressed from their near sibling rivalry to a mature friendship in which each respected the other and could have a normal conversation without teasing, arguing, or right out making fun of the other. Kratos liked this type of relationship more as it was what he was used to. Though admittedly, he felt that their change of pace was due to Anna. She herself seemed to have matured by her own free will and had not been influenced by Kratos' presence. It was more the fact that as Anna became accustomed to freedom, she had become more relaxed and more comfortable with her situation. However, although she had matured her personality and childish desire to live life to the fullest had remained.

This was evident whenever the two sparred. During their winter in the Triet Desert, Kratos had taught Anna how to fight properly with the stiletto he had gotten her in Hima. To Kratos' mild surprise she was very talented, but as Anna pointed out, she probably wouldn't have escaped from the Ranch had she not been. She seemed to be very pleased with this new activity. It gave them something to do in the evenings when they were camping between cities.  
When in cities they couldn't draw attention to themselves, so they had to settle with more quiet activities and chores. On top of that they had started to become familiar with the families that owned the inns throughout Sylvarant. In fact they had joined the family that owned the Triet inn for the winter festival a couple of months ago.

They had stayed in the Triet Desert for most of the winter. About three weeks before the start of spring they had gone to Triet to stock up on supplies. Kratos had greeted the shop keeper as usual, but he noticed an uneasiness about his person.

"Is something wrong?" Kratos had asked him.

"There was a man here earlier asking for you," he replied. Anna and Kratos exchanged glances.

"Was this man a half-elf?" Kratos inquired.

"Well, yes, you see, he was a Desian."

"Kratos…" Anna had said tentatively.

"Yes, I know, we've got to get out of here." With that they paid for their supplies and immediately headed for Izoold. Kratos knew that it was possible that this man was a Courier from Yuan, or even a Renegade, but he wasn't willing to take that chance.

From there they had fled to Hima, and then started once again to wander the continent. They chose their cities randomly so that it would be harder for their pursuers to get a step ahead of them.Their most recent pick had landed them in Luin. Anna was a completely different person in this town. When in this town she reverted to her childish, innocent self, as though she had never left.

"Kratos?" she said wrenching him from his thoughts. He raised his eyebrows at her.

"Do you think we'll be able to backtrack to Asgard before heading to Hima?"

"Of course," Kratos replied, "If it will hinder the Desians from finding us, then I'm all for it. Is there any particular reason you want to go to Asgard?"

"No, none other than I find that city relaxing and would enjoy visiting it before heading to another continent."

"Fair enough," Kratos responded.

As the day progressed the two decided to go out for the afternoon. Anna had her heart set on taking a small boat onto the lake, and since Kratos had no objection to this small request, that's what they did.

When they reached the docks it seemed that the boat they hired was a little rowboat, as opposed to the sail boat they had been expecting. Anna just laughed when she saw it and said that it would be fun anyway.

There were only a few other boats on the water, mainly small fishing boats. When they made it about half way across the lake Kratos paused, resting the ores against the side of the boat and took a short break. Anna looked up at him. When she did Kratos experienced a strange sensation. In the moment that their eyes met he suddenly felt awkward and a little flushed. This particular feeling caused him to look away and suddenly he realized that his heart was pounding.

"Are you alright?" she asked him.

"Yeah, fine," he replied, trying not to focus on her eyes. Instead he looked at her nose and

cheeks in the space just below her eyes. She laughed, and in that instant he felt the need to kiss her. Then a new rush of emotions came upon him. First was disgust. Disgust that he would put Anna in such danger by having such thoughts and impulses. The next was shock. Shock that he had the heart left to feel such things. The final emotion was a primitive panic. What the hell was he supposed to do now? Something of his feelings must have appeared on his face for Anna fixed him with a look of concern.

"Look, Anna, I'm alright," he said in attempts to assuage her look. She allowed a small smile to touch her lips before saying, "You know, Kratos, you should relax more." He raised an eyebrow at her.

"Well, you seem very uptight. I thought this boat ride would let you relax." He looked her in the eyes this time, determined to suppress any feelings that might emerge.

"Heh, you're not the one having to row," he responded. This brought the smile back to her face and she laughed.

That evening they returned to their room after eating dinner at one of Anna's favorite restaurants. Anna drifted off to sleep quickly, but Kratos once again was having trouble getting to sleep. Over the last few months Kratos' dreams had been haunted by the large skeletal angels. These dreams did not occur every night, but when they did, Kratos would wake with the same sense of guilt in his stomach. However, tonight, dreams of angels were not what were keeping him awake.

He looked over at Anna who was fast asleep in the other bed. He sighed and rolled over. His life had been so much simpler before she had come along; however, Anna's company was what he had come to enjoy. And now, damn it all, he was in love with her and he knew it. This really complicated things. He could never let himself get involved with a woman like that. Not without telling her the truth, and if she ever found out the truth she would undoubtedly leave him.

Perhaps it was the fact that he hadn't even remotely felt like this in four millennia and these emotions were now completely alien to him, but he didn't really trust them. He had always been taught that love made a man weak. Well, he wasn't sure if he believed that either. The most logical action to this man to whom emotions were nothing but a hassle was to suppress them as he normally did. However, he wasn't sure whether that would work this time, but he was willing to give it a try.

He grimaced at the thought of what Yuan would say. Yuan would tell him that he was a fool for not making Anna stay in Iselia. Yuan had not been happy when he had found that Anna was still with him. In fact, Yuan had overreacted in Kratos' opinion.

_Yuan had approached them with a look of urgency about him, but the second he laid eyes on Anna his expression turned to one of anger.  
_

_"Kratos!" he had snapped brusquely, "A word?" Then he had pulled Kratos out of earshot of Anna without any regards for her existence.  
_

_"What is she doing here?" Yuan had demanded. Kratos looked slightly taken aback.  
_

_"What does it matter to you?"  
_

_"Kratos!" he hissed, then paused as if thinking better of what he had been about to say.  
_

_"What?"  
_

_"It's nothing."  
_

_"Of course it's not nothing." Yuan glared at him.  
_

_"Look, I'm just a little surprised that you didn't do what was in the best interest for her, for both of you."  
_

_"Both of us?"  
_

_"I don't trust Kvar, and I'd rather it was just Mithos searching for you. We can't be sure what he'd do if he found you." Kratos smirked slightly and replied, "Are you saying that I'm not a match for Kvar?" Yuan gave him an earnest look, then said in a matching tone, "I'm saying Kvar is smart and manipulative, he will find and use any weakness against you. He is a cruel, evil man. To be honest, I can't believe that Mithos is blind enough to let him keep such a powerful position. I think that it would be wisest for you to detach yourself from any weakness that you might have… even if you have become fond of that weakness." With that Yuan glanced at where Anna stood waiting patiently some distance away. Kratos gave Yuan an affronted look.  
_

_"If you mean Anna…"  
_

_"Of course I mean Anna."  
_

_"She's not a weakness."  
_

_"Oh really? Well then. Would you be able to stand back and watch while Kvar brutally murders her?" Kratos looked shocked for a few moments before answering with a defeated tone, "No, of course not."  
_

_"Then she's a weakness."  
_

_"But I can't just abandon her."  
_

_"Kratos, Anna is an adult and fully capable of taking care of herself, despite what she might have told you." Kratos knew this, but he didn't want to say anything. Seeing this Yuan continued, "If you feel strong enough about protecting her, then by all means continue protecting her, but you must be willing to accept the consequences of your actions and any outcome that might come of it."  
_

_Kratos raised his head, looked Yuan squarely in the eyes and said, "Yuan, you speak as though you think that I wouldn't think ahead about my decisions. I realize what the possible consequences could be, and I accepted them the moment I decided to travel with her." Yuan stared back for a moment before saying, "Of course, then if that's the case I won't say another word on the subject." Kratos nodded and the two returned to Anna. Then something else interesting happened. As they had approached Anna, Kratos fixed her with a soft smile. Yuan who had been watching him said softly in the angelic language so as Anna couldn't understand, "I know that smile. It's been a while since I've seen it though." Kratos stopped and turned to look at him.  
_

_"You used to use that smile for Martel and me." Kratos had fixed him with a puzzled expression, but Yuan merely smiled and said, "Never mind, forget I said anything.  
_

Yes, he knew Yuan would have an "I told you so" attitude about the whole thing. However, he was willing to stick with the only solution that he knew and that was to suppress these emotions as he thought he had trained himself to do.

o00o

The next morning Kratos woke to find Anna had gone. Her bed was made, and since Noishe was dozing peacefully on the floor, Kratos was pretty sure that he had nothing to worry about.  
He pulled on his usual shirt, gloves, cloak and boots, then headed downstairs to a neighboring restaurant where he thought Anna might be, leaving Noishe outside.

Sure enough he found her waiting for him at a table with breakfast for both her and him. He sat opposite her. Seeing her smile reminded him of his new resolution to suppress his new emotions.

"Good morning," she greeted him cheerily.

"'Morning," he grunted in return.

"I hope you don't mind that I ordered for you?"

"Not at all, eat quickly, I don't want to linger for too much longer." She nodded.

"You know, I was thinking," Anna started, "If we ride Noishe to Asgard, we could get there in half the time. We could have lunch, spend the night, then depending on how we feel or what's happening we could leave the next morning." Kratos thought for a minute before saying, "I suppose we could, but what's the rush?"

"Well, I don't know, but since you've turned me into a sight-seeing fanatic and I have yet to have a proper look at the Asgard Ruins, I thought it might be nice to do that." Kratos suppressed a smile that was lurking just below the surface and said crisply, "I'm sure that will be fine if that is what you wish." She smiled and the two resumed breakfast.

o00o

After breakfast the two went to a couple of shops to restock on items, then set off on Noishe towards Asgard. The trip was overall rather awkward. Anna wasn't quite sure how to react to Kratos' new attitude. He was as stoic as he had been before he had fled Mithos. Yuan or Mithos would've passed this off as normal, but Anna became slightly worried; however, she didn't say anything and put it down to a case of his moodiness.

When they arrived in Asgard, Kratos was still acting with cold indifference. They checked into the small inn on the edge of town as usual. They deposited their things in their room.

"Shall we go visit the ruins first or do you want some lunch?" Anna inquired as they left the inn, leaving Noishe to keep watch in front of the inn.

"I don't mind, do as you wish," he replied curtly. Anna stopped and looked up at him.

"Kratos, is something wrong?" Kratos also stopped and frowned at her.

"No."

"Kratos," she repeated, "If it's something I did, then please tell me."

"You didn't do anything, there's nothing wrong."

"You'd tell me if there were, right?" Kratos looked searchingly into her eyes and seeing her sincere concern allowed the soft, forbidden smile to grace his face, and let her know that everything was alright.

"Of course I would." This seemed to be good enough for her. Kratos decided that if he were to continue to suppress his feelings he would have to do so completely internally so as not to harm Anna.

In the end, they decided to view the ruins first. Anna found this quite interesting. She didn't know a lot about them, but enjoyed looking at the wall drawings anyway. Kratos, who had seen them many times before, was not as interested, but rather spent his time brooding or explaining to Anna what various pictures meant.

They were just entering the cave that housed the depiction of the Maiden's Ritual when Kratos spied a familiar face inside. Just as he turned around Kratos called to him.

"Yuan?" A slightly startled expression appeared on the half-elf's face for a moment before disappearing with the same speed that it had arrived.

"Kratos? What are you doing here?"

"I could as you the same thing." Yuan folded his arms across his chest.

"I'm doing research for the sweet little brat back home." Kratos smirked and chose not to pursue the subject.

"Anyway," Yuan continued, "you didn't answer my question."

"We're just sight-seeing. It seems I've neglected to show Anna the Asgard Ruins during our travels." Yuan raised his eyebrows."

"You're still traveling?"

"Well of course, what else are we supposed to do?"

"For one, settling down probably wouldn't be a bad idea. It's most likely as safe as wandering aimlessly, perhaps safer, because it eliminates the chance of you accidentally finding them." Kratos nodded, that logic sounded reasonable.

"Where would you suggest we stay?" he inquired pondering this possible course of action.

"Not Asgard, Luin, or even Hima. My suggestion would be either Palmacoasta or Izoold. Both make for a quick getaway by land or sea if need be. The plus side to Palmacoasta is that it's large enough for you two to easily blend into the crowd; however, Palmacoasta is rather close to Magnius' ranch. On the other hand Izoold is small and newcomers will stick out, but both the Iselia and Asgard ranches are a long ways away." Kratos and Anna exchanged glances.

"We'll talk it over," Kratos told him. Yuan nodded.  
I'll come find you at some point. I want to discuss something with you, but now's not really the time." Kratos nodded.  
"Until then," Yuan made to leave, but after taking a few paces past Kratos, turned and added, "Oh, by the way. Anna, if you do decide to settle down for a while, make sure you find Kratos some new clothes, maybe something a little more inconspicuous." At this Anna giggled and gave her word that she would.

"Good," Yuan smirked, "then in that case I'll be off." And with as swish of cape he left. Anna and Kratos exchanged another glance.

"Well?" Anna queried.

"Well what?"

"We going?"

"Yuan's got a point, but it's not a decision we should make lightly." She grinned at him.

"What?" he asked puzzled by her expression.

"You know," she said slyly, "Yuan's right about your clothes. In fact I vote we get you into something a little more normal whether we decide to settle down or not."

"Who says you get a vote in the matter?"

"Yuan did, so no matter what you say it's at least two against one." Kratos shook his head and decided not to argue.

They talked things over at lunch and dinner as well as the time in between, decided to sleep on it, then talked about it the next morning. It wasn't until the end of breakfast that they came to a decision.

While they were out doing the normal shopping for extra supplies, Anna managed to drag Kratos into the clothes shop where they had bought most of Anna's outfits. Kratos stood in discomfort as he was measured and fitted for a new outfit. When he came out of the dressing room he looked like a completely different person. He was clad in a sea foam green button down shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, khaki pants, and plain brown traveling cloak and boots. The only remnants of his old outfit was his sheathed sword.

He hmphed at his reflection before saying gruffly, "Anna, I swear to the gods you owe me big for this." She giggled as this statement confirmed that this truly was Kratos despite the lack of purple.

"Oh, stop being such a baby, it looks good on you," she chided.

Kratos refused point blank to sell his old outfit as Anna had done to her winter clothes when the changing of the seasons made them obsolete. To his protests she merely shrugged and said, "Fine, but you have to carry them around."

To accompany his new outfit, they also purchased a second set of clothes, a dark blue button down shirt and a smoky grey pair of pants.

After much thought, they had chosen to settle down in Izoold. It seemed to be the better choice due to the fact that on numerous occasions they had seen Desians buying supplies while they had been there. The route they were to take was the longest possible. They wouldn't stop in any towns, but go directly to Izoold, so when they'd finished shopping for supplies they left.

o00o

Anna was thrilled by the amount of sparring they were getting in. She was undoubtedly getting better. Kratos now felt that she could easily hold her own against most monsters and possibly even a Desian soldier. Her stamina was improving too, but he wasn't sure whether that was due to her getting used to more and more traveling, or the effects of her exsphere.

By the time they arrived in Izoold both were looking disheveled and in need of a good wash. So, the first thing they did upon arrival was check into a room and employ the use of their showers. Afterwards, both clean and looking amazingly better than they did beforehand, decided to just take it easy for the rest of the day. Despite this, they both slept well that night.

The next morning they began looking for a house to lease. Fortunately, the innkeeper knew of one. They were pointed in the direction of a small house towards the edge of town. The owner was a wealthy fisherman who lived in Palmacoasta and rarely ever stayed in Izoold. This fisherman sailed between both port cities selling his fish. Luckily, they found him set up with his stand, selling that morning's catch.

"Excuse me, sir," Kratos approached him.

"Good day, sir, what can I do for you?" the man asked.

"We're interested in the house that you're leasing," he explained gesturing to Anna and himself.

"Ah, of course, hold on a sec." The fisherman called to his young assistant who appeared to be in his early teens, and had him watch the shop while they visited the house.

The house was perfect for two people and it came fully furnished. There was a small bedroom with two beds, a small bathroom, and a third room that functioned as a kitchen and living room. The price was reasonable, and affordable for their ever tightening budget.

"Well, what do you think?" the fisherman asked.

"It's quite nice," said Kratos, though it was slightly out done by Anna's cry of "It's perfect" from the other room. When Anna joined them again Kratos was just asking, "Tell me, was this house built during the Palmacoasta Uprising?" The fisherman looked at him with mild surprise,

"Why, yes it was."

"Good," Kratos murmured to himself looking around the room, "When can we move in?"

"As soon as you like," he replied, "Someone will be along at the end of the month to collect the rent." Kratos nodded.

Papers were signed, bags were moved, and the next thing Anna knew, they were settling into their new house. Unfortunately, Noishe had to stay hidden in the woods outside the city because there just wasn't enough room for him in the house.

"Why did you ask when the house was build?" Anna asked, folding her other set of clothes (another white shirt and a lilac skirt) and setting it neatly in the drawer. At this question Kratos smirked and began stamping the floor with his foot, moving a couple paces then repeating the process.

"The Palmacoasta Uprising took place twenty-thirty some odd years ago," he explained continuing with his bizarre antics, "during which Palmacoasta started to make a stand against the Desians; however, it wasn't without bloodshed. Many prisoners from the human ranch were set free by Palmacoasta's troops. Infuriated by this, Magnius sent many troops to retrieve the hundreds of escapees. The prisoners were smuggled across the sea via fishing boats and were hidden in Izoold." Suddenly, the sound of Kratos' foot hitting the wood was different- hollow sounding. Kratos smiled to himself and lifted a hidden door out of the floor. Anna approached the passage way he had just made and Kratos continued, "The houses built during the uprising were all made with these passage ways out of the house, and to this day there are few who know about them. Even the Desians never figured out where the prisoners were. You see, this is a convenient hiding place, but even better, there's another door farther down and along that allows for a quick escape out of the house if need be. That's how the prisoners managed to escape."

"Kratos! That's brilliant!" she declared smiling broadly up at him. He smiled softly down at her. A soft smile that was now reserved only for her.

**A/N: well that's the end of Ch. 8, hopefully I'll be able to get the next chapter out quicker now that I'm begining to speed up the plot. Please review and tell me what you think! Thanks! **


	9. Angel's Confession

**A/N: Wooo! Chapter 9 is done! This, I feel, is not my best work; however, my editor tells me that he thinks it's the best chapter I've done so far. So I'm curious to know what you think. Please review and let me know! Oh, speaking of! Thank you to my wonderful reviewers: MindTricks, lildaemon, and lloyd-forever! Hmm, that was a kinda short list... hopefully it will be longer next time!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Tales of Symphonia... so there. **

**Angel's Confession**

Anna had finished her morning chores and was sitting quietly reading a book that she had found in the house. She and Kratos had comfortably settled into their new home in Izoold, and were beginning to adapt to their new daily life in town. Kratos had gotten a job in the harbor; partly because the money he had taken from Cruxis before he fled was running low and partly for appearance. He had been apprehensive at first about leaving Anna alone while he was out, but she convinced him that she could take care of herself.

She was enjoying the quiet life that Izoold provided. It gave her a sense of comfort to know that she could participate in normal, everyday activities, and live as though she was not a fugitive. One of her favorite things to do was cook. Anna was thrilled to finally be able to cook on a proper stove, as opposed to the occasional campfire. She prepared breakfast, lunch and dinner, and rarely let Kratos make anything, which was fine by him.

As she sat reading there was suddenly a knock at the door. She gave a slight start, then gently put her book down. She grabbed her sheathed dagger from the nearby table and fastened it around her waist as she approached the door. Cautiously she unlocked it and cracked it open to see who was there. To her surprise there stood Yuan.

"Yuan!" she greeted in a shocked voice, opening the door wider to let him in.

"Hello, Anna," he greeted her in reply, stepping over the threshold, "Is Kratos in?"

"No he's not, actually," she said, shutting the door behind him, "he's at work. Please, Yuan, make yourself at home." She gestured to the armchair that she had occupied moments ago. Yuan chuckled to himself as he sat down.

"So, it would seem that you two decided to take my advice. How are you liking life in Izoold?"

"Oh, it's wonderful, not to big, quiet, and a heck of a lot less stressful than running around everywhere. Would you like coffee?" She had moved into the kitchen half of the room and was now filling a kettle with water.

"Yes, please, I'm glad it's working out for you. To be honest I'm surprised you've put up with Kratos for this long." At this she laughed, leaning back against the counter, waiting for the water to boil.

"He has his moments, but for the most part he's really sweet," she replied, smiling fondly. Sweet. Yuan shifted uncomfortably in his chair. Of the many words women had used to describe Kratos 'sweet' was not one of them. Well, except for, of course, by Martel, but she was different. The two continued their small talk over the coffee that Anna had prepared, both surprisingly comfortable with the other's company.

* * *

Meanwhile, Kratos was finishing up his day's work. He and the other workers were tying down the last few boats that had come into the harbor. However, his mind was not on the various knots and ropes he was working with, but instead on Anna. He was worried about her. It seemed that her Cruxis Crystal was beginning to take some effect on her. Her emotions were starting to become somewhat subdued. She was no longer able to feel any sadness whatsoever. Even when the news came to them of the death of a neighbor in a sailing accident, Anna met the situation with cool indifference. Kratos knew that scared her. He had been pretty sure that she had had this condition when he had met her, but now her response when she was happy or angry, seemed to be delayed. This, he was pretty sure, she had not noticed. 

He sighed, rising as he finished tying the last knot. The thing that really got to him was the fact that he knew that there was nothing he could do about it. He would just have to wait until Yuan came to them with news of a cure.

On top of this, nightmares about "angels" had yet to cease. Three or four times a week he would be awoken by blood-curdling screams reverberating around his head. The familiar sense of guilt would awaken in his stomach. Each time they would be different. Sometimes the angel's would speak in Mithos' voice, sometimes Kvar's. Other times it was his own voice. He shook the thought away.

As he approached the house, he pulled his key out of his pocket and unlocked the door. Pushing open the door, he called, "It's just me," so as not to startle Anna. Closing the door behind him he looked up and was shocked by the scene before him. There was Anna, sitting in one of the armchairs, feet tucked under her and nursing a cup of coffee and talking to none other than Yuan.

"Hey," Anna greeted him as he stepped into the room, then added rather unnecessarily, "Yuan's here." Yuan rose to meet Kratos who was trying his best to hide his shock at finding Yuan conversing with Anna in a friendly manner.

"Yuan? What's the occasion?" Kratos asked, eyeing him suspiciously.

"Hello to you, too," Yuan said with a smirk, but seeing that Kratos' suspicious gaze had not changed, shrugged and said, "I told you that I was going to come by and find you. Well, here I am."

"I see. I don't suppose you have any news?"

"A bit, but don't get your hopes up because that's not exactly why I'm here. I have something I want to discuss with you." Kratos nodded.

"Will you be staying for dinner?" Anna asked, getting up and carrying the empty cups to the kitchen.

"If it wouldn't be too much of an intrusion on your time," Yuan accepted politely. Kratos opened his mouth to speak, but Anna cut him off.

"We'd love for you to stay," she said happily, delighted at the prospect of someone new to cook for.

"Thank you, Anna," Yuan said with a small smile. Kratos took a seat in the chair that Anna had just left and Yuan returned to his. Not one to beat around the bush, Yuan began, "What do you know about the Otherworldly Gate?" He spoke in the Angelic language so as Anna couldn't eavesdrop. Kratos was slightly surprised by this question, but he wasn't going to show it.

"Probably the same information that you know," he responded in the same tongue, "that it's the portal in Tethe'alla that opens into Sylvarant every full moon."

"Portal…" Yuan repeated to himself.

"Well, I suppose technically it's a gate, but…" he trailed off, seeing that Yuan had suddenly gone deep into thought.

Anna listened to the two men talk, not that she understood a word of it. _Fine,_ she thought, _they can be that way._ From the little bit she had learned in school and even less that she remembered, she was pretty sure that they were speaking in the Angelic language. It seemed very strange to her that these two mercenaries were able to speak this language with such fluency, but as she thought about it, she figured that perhaps it was necessary for them to talk like this to protect the people they were working for.

The tone of the conversation had suddenly changed, Yuan now seemed to be trying to persuade Kratos of something and Kratos seemed reluctant to consent. Anna returned to cooking. After a while Yuan seemed to give up. He rose and began to make his way to the kitchen, when Kratos called to him in the common language, "Ask me again when you find it." Yuan nodded. Anna was thoroughly bewildered by this, but pretended not to take any notice.

"Need a hand?" Yuan asked walking up beside her.

"No thank you," she responded, smiling up at him, "don't worry it shouldn't be too much longer." She paused for a moment, looking around the room to make sure everything was done.

"Hey, Kratos? Would you set the table?"

"Here, I'll do it," Yuan offered, looking around for silverware.

"Don't be stupid, Yuan," Anna told him, "You're our guest. Kratos will do it." Yuan smirked at Kratos who shot him a withering glare in response.

Dinner went as well as could be expected. There were only a couple of pauses in conversation and a few snippets of dialogue in the Angelic language during which Anna would look between the two and act as invisible as they mad her out to be (whether or not they knew they were doing so).

When it came time for Yuan to leave Anna and Kratos had gone to the door to see him off.

"Will you come see us again?" Anna asked, having enjoyed the evening.

"Most likely," Yuan replied, then to Kratos said, "Please consider my words, I understand that you feel that it won't do you any good, but at least… at least it could be an advantage over Mithos." Anna fixed the two with a confused look as Kratos nodded.

"Take care you two," he said before departing into the night. Anna and Kratos waved after him before returning into the house.

"I like Yuan," Anna declared sitting down in one of the chairs. Kratos gave her a small smile.

"Yes, he's a good man," Kratos agreed, "Anna, I'm going to bed."

"Okay," she replied, "I'll be in in a bit."

* * *

That weekend Kratos woke to the smell of breakfast filling the house. Any plans the two had of doing anything were currently being drowned by the torrential rain poring down outside. He clambered out of bed and changed into his purple traveling clothes. If he was going to be inside all day, he might as well ware what he wanted. 

"Good morning," Anna greeted, smiling at him as he emerged into the kitchen. She was dressed in lilac and white and standing over the stove.

"Good morning," he replied, taking a seat at the table.

"It looks like we'll just have to have a lazy day around the house," she commented, placing a plate of bacon and eggs in front of him, then sat across form him and began to eat her own.

"So it would seem," he replied, "perhaps the rain will taper off later this afternoon."

"I hope so," she said, resting her chin on her hand and shooting a wistful glance out of the rain-streaked window.

As the day progressed the rain did seem to lighten. By mid afternoon the raindrops had dissipated into a light mist Kratos sat, reading a book written in the Angelic language and Anna, getting bored with hers, was gazing around the room. As her gaze fell towards the window something caught her eye. She rose and crept towards the window so as she could see out, but no one outside could see her.

Kratos glanced briefly up at her, then returned his attention to his book. Anna's eyes scoured the scene outside until her eyes rested on what she had seen.

"Dear Martel, damn them all to Hell," she swore in a fearful tone. At this Kratos drew his attention away from his reading to see what had distressed her.

"What is it?" he asked, approaching the window where she stood.

"Desians," she breathed. Kratos felt his heart go cold as fear gripped him and he saw what she had been looking at. There were two of them in sight. They seemed to be going door to door.

"Damn, Anna we've got to get out of here," he said as the villager whom the Desian was talking with pointed towards their house. Anna didn't need telling twice. She grabbed her dagger and he his sword. A bag of gald was left on the counter for the landlord, and the two made a dash for the trap door.

It was muddy and damp in the space beneath the house, and when Kratos closed the door behind them, it was pitch black. Anna grabbed onto Kratos' arm as he began to lead the way out. Her grip tightened as she heard the banging at the door and a muffled man's voice yelling at them to open up. When they reached the other end of the passage way Kratos attempted to quietly open the door. It was jammed. He turned to Anna, taking a firm hold of her shoulders he whispered in a severe tone,

"Now Anna, listen to me. I am going to break down the door. However it might be loud, and if it is they will hear us. When the way is clear you are to run. I don't care where, just run. Don't worry about me." Anna gave a soft whimper of agreement, from what he could tell in this darkness, she seemed to be on the brink of tears. He held her close for a brief second before saying reassuringly, "don't worry, everything will be okay. I promise."

With that he turned, and with one strong kick knocked down the door. There was a muffled shout from above and the two darted out or the passage way. They were heading roughly towards Hima, Kratos a pace or so ahead of Anna. Shortly he heard the footsteps of several men following them.

Bitter thoughts raced through his mind. How could he have missed them? Why didn't he hear them coming? Well, he put that down to the rain. He glanced behind him at Anna, who had fallen another pace behind. _Damn. _He knew that they had no other choice but to run. The Desians knew they were there and would've torn the house apart looking for them.

Anna kept gradually falling behind and the Desains were gradually catching up with them. Kratos was torn for a moment, but he knew what he had to do. Even if it ment his "weakness" left him, at least she would be safe. He stopped for half a second, allowing Anna to run past him, then he unfurled his wings and scooped her into his arms. She instinctively threw her arms around his neck and buried her face into his chest.

"Hold tight," he told her as his feet left the ground. She gave a small yelp and her grip tightened as she felt the sudden upwards motion of flight. She looked up at him, trying to see his face, but he stared resolutely ahead, flying now in the direction of Ossa trail, hiding their position in the cold, wet clouds. She shut her eyes and her grip remained tight until they landed somewhere towards the top of the trail.

When they landed and Kratos set her down, Anna collapsed to her knees breathing heavily, and whimpering softly. Kratos let her be for a moment before extending his hand to her and saying, "Come on, we have to move or else they'll be able to trace my mana signature." She ignored his hand and scrambled to her feet. He began moving quickly up the trail. Anna followed in complete and utter shock, still not fully comprehending what had just happened.

It was beginning to get dark when they reached a small clearing on the edge of a cliff. Kratos decided this would be a good place to stop so he lit a small fire. Anna perched herself on a branch of a fallen tree. The shock left an empty look in her eyes, eyes that were staring blankly into the fire. Kratos on the other hand did not sit. He was too restive and afraid of approaching her.

"Kratos…" her voice was distant, fearful, and still shocked. He tried to reply, but couldn't find the words.

"It's true then," she spoke with a little more force, but her gaze was still unmoving, unblinking, "That time, back then, I thought I'd imagined them, dreamed them… but… they're real…" Kratos sighed and nodded.

"So… so, what are you?" This question hurt Kratos, but he was pretty sure that she hadn't intended to do so, at least he hoped she hadn't. At least she was willing to stick around and listen to his explanation.

"I am an angel of Cruxis," he told her.

"Cruxis? You mean the church?" Kratos nodded.

"Anna, this might come as a great shock to you. There are things about this world that you don't know; things that were never meant to be known. But these things are the truth, and I feel that you have the right to know all of it… If for no other reason than I feel guilty for… well, for lying to you.

"You see, Cruxis is not what the World believes us to be. We are not holy, divine, or anything of the sort. For the most part Cruxis is made up of half-elves, I being the exception. We all became 'angels' by exposing our Cruxis Crystals to the Summon Spirits' mana." At the mention of the stones a flicker of fear flashed through Anna's eyes.

"Why?" she asked in the same tone, "Why create such a lie? Why invent a goddess?" Kratos sighed again before continuing.

"Martel was not an invention. She was once alive, a living, breathing person, a dear friend. She too was an angel, as are Yuan and Mithos." For the first time, she looked up at him.

"Martel? You don't mean the girl who Yuan loved?" Kratos gave a bitter smile.

"One and the same."

"Kratos, that doesn't make sense. The church of Martel has been around for thousands of years. Even elves don't live that long."

"Elves can't, but angels can. The truth is I haven't aged a day in something close to four thousand years." Anna gasped as a new wave of shock and disbelief crawled through her.

"Then you must have been alive during the Kharlan War."

"I was. Perhaps you noticed another of my friends has a famous name. Mithos, the hero of the ancient war, was my apprentice." Anna's eyes, if possible, seemed to get a little wider. She gave a feeble smile then said, slightly hoarsely, "If I hadn't seen the wings I might have said you were putting me on."

"I wish I could say I was, because there's a much darker side to my story. Martel was Mithos' sister and Yuan's fiancé; however, she was killed towards the end of the war. This loss crushed Mithos, heart and soul. Martel had raised him since he was a child, and she was practically a mother to him. Mithos, having gained immortality, felt there must be some way to bring Martel back from the dead, and end the Ancient War once and for all. You see, the Kharlan war was actually fought between Sylvarant and the once joined world, Tethe'alla."

"Y-you mean the moon?" Anna asked, doing her best to absorb all of this information on top of her shock and fear.

"Not exactly, but for all intents and purposes of this story, think of it like that. Sylvarant and Tethe'alla used to be one world, but Mithos, with the help of the Summon Spirit of time and space, Origin, was able to split the worlds in two. However, due to the war, there was not enough mana to support both worlds. Thus the Chosen ritual was created. You see, when a world is in decline, the mana from that world flows to the other. Right now Sylvarant's mana is flowing to Tethe'alla. When the Chosen goes on his or her journey of regeneration they awake the Summon Spirits in their world and reverse the mana flow. So one world is always waxing, and the other waning, like an hourglass.

"However, there is an ulterior motive to World Regeneration. Each Chosen who completes the regeneration sacrifices his or her heart and soul so that Martel's conscious can inhabit the Chosen's body. So far, all attempts have failed…"

"Kratos… if what you tell me is true, then why does Mithos allow the Desians to exist?" At this Kratos gave a very bitter, sardonic smile.

"Anna, above all other, this is the part of my tale that I wish most of all weren't true. I deeply regret having to tell you this. Mithos, creator of Cruxis, is also Lord Mithos Yggdrasil, creator of the Desians." At this Anna rose in fear. Sheer terror seemed to grip her as she began to back away from him.

"Kratos! Please tell me you're lying! Please!" she cried out. He raised his hands helplessly, trying to show her that he meant no harm.

"I wish with all I am I could say I was, but please, hear me out!" She froze. Had she been able, Kratos was sure that she would be crying. His insides writhed with guilt.

"I have no control over the Desians, if I did they wouldn't exist. I didn't even know that they were conducting the Angelus Project, nor did Yuan."

"Why? Why would Mithos create such demons?"

"Why? For the very reason that finally made me leave," he said darkly, "Desians ignite fear in people. Fear accelerates the growth of Cruxis Crystals. Cruxis Crystals create lifeless beings." Something like anger flashed through his eyes before he continued, "Mithos has this insane idea that if everyone were lifeless, discrimination would end. Well, I suppose it would, I don't know, but there isn't much point in just existing."

"So…so is that what will happen to me?" Anna asked meekly, "Will I just become a lifeless being?" He looked piteously at her before he spoke.

"I'm afraid so. Yuan is looking for a way to cure you, but so far no such luck."

"Oh…" She sat back down looking very somber.

"Anna, I'm sure Yuan will find something. After all…" Kratos found himself cut off by a sharp pain in his head and Anna's sudden scream. He heard the hard clink of metal on metal before everything went black.

When Kratos awoke night had fallen. At first he couldn't remember where he was then… _damn._ He leapt up, looking around for a sign of Anna. A Desian lay dead a little ways away. No doubt Anna had killed him then fled. He cursed again. How could he have not heard them coming? He'd been so focused on Anna that he seemed to have blotted out the rest of the world.

"Anna!" he called out, but there was nothing but deathly silence. Something shining on the ground out of the corner of his eye caught his attention. He knelt beside the smoldering embers of their campfire. It was a small broken piece of Mythril that appeared to have once been a circle, but now it was twisted and in a number of pieces. He recognized it. It was Anna's "key crest." Sudden panic gripped him as he ran his fingers through his hair. He rose, still fingering the metal.

"Anna!" he called out again but to no avail. _Damn._ He headed out into the woods. This, he felt, was his fault. He had known that the Desians would easily be able to trace his mana signature after he used his angelic powers, and yet he had let them stop in the trail.

He knew not where his feet carried him, but it soon became apparent that he was heading in the direction of Izoold. He called out again and again, but there was no sign of her. The hour grew later as he began to search off the beaten path. As it drew closer to midnight, the clouds began to regroup, and it wasn't long before the rain started again. At this point Kratos was ready to give up his seemingly futile efforts and return to Izoold.

He entered the house in an absolutely miserable, defeated state. His body was telling him to sleep, but his mind knew that he couldn't. He had told her the truth, and then to matters a million times worse, he had failed to protect her, the one thing he had promised to do. The reason she was with him. He lit a candle, placing it on the kitchen table, then trudged to his bed and sat on the edge of it. Now she was lost and alone, or possible captured. The guilt turned his stomach and he ran his fingers through his hair.

Hours past, though how many he did no know. Yuan was right. She was a weakness, but if he could have her back, would he still think that? He shoved the original thought to the back of his mind. Of course she wouldn't be. Not now. He'd learned his lesson. He wouldn't let himself get distracted again.

There was a sudden, loud knock at the door. His heart leapt and he arose quickly and hurried to the door. He opened it to see Yuan standing in the door way, rain falling from the dark sky behind him. Kratos' face fell from his usual stoic expression to one of obvious disappointment.

"You don't look very happy to see me," he commented offhandedly, brushing his wet hair out of his face. Kratos opened his mouth to reply but Yuan cut him off, "especially when I just found something of your's" He stepped aside revealing a soaking wet Anna, who upon being given access threw herself at Kratos and began sobbing heavily into his chest. He was bewildered for a second, but after recovering from the initial shock, wrapped his arms around the weeping girl and held her closely to himself. Looking over her head, Kratos directed his gaze to Yuan, who wore a small smile and was leaning against the doorway.

"Thank you," Kratos mouthed over the top of Anna's head to Yuan who broadened his smile slightly and gave a small mock salute, before disappearing into the night. He returned his attention back to Anna who was still crying profusely. He began absent-mindedly stroking her hair, not knowing what else to say, bet feeling he'd best let her cry for the moment.

After a while, when her tears had lessened a bit, Kratos he put an arm around her led her still crying into the kitchen, and put the kettle on for a cup of tea. She seated herself in one of the chairs around the table and tried without success to wipe the tears from her eyes.

While the kettle was boiling, Kratos disappeared into the bedroom for a second to retrieve a blanket for the cold, wet Anna. She wrapped it around her shoulders.

"Thank you," she said, sniffing and looking up at him with a tear streaked face.

"No," Kratos said, looking away from her, "I'm the reason you're in this mess. Do not thank me." There was an awkward pause. Kratos distracted himself with making the tea while Anna sat, sniffing and trying to stem the flow of tears.

The two sat in silence sipping at their mugs, when Anna said finally, "You look tired, you should try and get some sleep," her voice was soft and weary.

"What about you?" she smiled weakly, "I'll be in as soon as I finish my tea." Kratos nodded and drained the remaining contents of his mug.

He lay on top of the blankets, one knee bent, and propped himself up on the pillows, immersed in thought. Anna soon entered, caring the candle that had illuminated the kitchen. She set it down on the bedside table. Kratos closed his eyes for a moment, but then opened them suddenly when he felt another depression in the mattress, and a light, warm mass leaning against his chest. Anna's head rested a few inches below his chin as she lay back against him. He pulled his arms comfortingly around her waist as the two starred into the light of the candle, listening to the rain drumming on the roof and window panes.

Kratos didn't know what was to become of them now, whether they would part ways or stay together. He didn't know how she felt about him or whether she knew how he felt about her. All he knew was that he indeed did love her, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't change that. But in that moment it didn't matter. He was content and well, happy with the way things were right then and there.

**A/N: Well, that wraps it up for chapter 9! I hope it wasn't too, too long... Next chapter should be interesting, I'm looking forward to writing it! (I promise, I've started on it... but who knows how long it will be until I finish... college level classes eat away at your freetime...) Until Next time.**

**Linkite**


	10. Angel's Encounter

**A/N: So I finally finished chapter X! I am infinetly sorry that it's taken me a year... most of you probably thought I'd given up. Well it's been kinda weird for my editor and me... so yeah... but it's cool now and I'm already working on the next chapter. Thank you to all of you who reviewed ages and ages ago: Unknownseraphim, Burnstar, Raspedra Twilight, Mind Tricks, and Lord Yuan. Maybe if I'm lucky and you all are very nice, you'll review this chapter as well! I'm so sorry again about the wait. I hope you like this chapter!--oh, side note, tell me if you see any of my editors comments that I forgot to erase (they should be in bold text) I in a past chapter I'd forgotten to erase one (But I'm too lazy to fix it) thanks!**

**Disclaimer: Despite the time, I still don't own Tales of Symphonia**

**Angel's Encounter**

The next morning Anna woke to find herself still in the gentle clutch of Kratos' arms. She extracted herself carefully so as not to wake the sleeping seraph. Judging by the sunlight trying to break through the overcast skies, it was nearing noon. Yawning, she made herself a cup of tea, then took a seat in one of the arm chairs, tucking her feet under her. What a night she'dhad. She shot a glance in the direction of the bedroom Kratos Aurion was certainly not what she pictured when she thought of the Angels of Cruxis. She had calmed down a bit since the night before, and had had the time to think about everything Kratos had said. Yuan, of course had confirmed his story, which in itself was an interesting tale.

She had been running for what had seemed like an hour, the tears welling up in her eyes had made it hard to see. A chill had gripped her, she didn't know how many men were after her, and she didn't care. She had killed a man, and in doing so had, in her mind, reduced herself to their level Anna paused for a moment and looked around her. In the darkness it was hard to make out her position, but judging by the heat she was pretty sure that she was near Triet. Sure enough, after a few more minutes of making her way aimlessly through the undergrowth, she stumbled out of the woods and into the hot sands of the Triet desert. Immediately, she looked around for any sign of light. There was none, so she did the best thing she could think of: pick a random direction and start walking This, she felt, was a better option than waiting around to be captured.

It wasn't long until she did finally see light; however, it wasn't the shining, white lights of Triet she'd been hoping for. A dim pink-purple glow was shining some distance ahead of her, and it seemed to be moving in her direction. Bewildered, she continued to head towards the light. As she came closer it was apparent that a figure was silhouetted against it, a figure that was beginning to become more and more recognizable.

"Dear Martel…" she gasped; suddenly the light disappeared and Yuan's voice emitted from the darkness.

"Anna? Is that you?"

"Yuan? Goddess, it's good to see a friendly face." Yuan was now standing in front of her, though she could not see him through the veil of night.

"Are you okay? Where's Kratos?" he asked in a slightly worried tone.

"I don't know, we were attacked by Desians and got separated. But, goddess, his story must have been true…"

"He told you?"

"Yes, about him, you, Mithos, and Martel."

"I see."

"We shouldn't stay here long. I think I'm still being followed."

"Hmm, we should be okay for a moment, we'll move in a second, but first I need to talk to you. I'm going to take you somewhere safe, but first you need to understand that Kratos has no idea where this place is, or that I'm associated with it. Will you promise me, swear on your life, that you will not tell Kratos about this, no matter what?"

"Yes of course."

"Anna, please understand that my life could be in serious danger if he finds out."

"I understand," a hint of nervous curiosity was in her voice. Yuan nodded.

"It will be faster if we fly… if you don't mind, that is," he said, grateful to the night for covering the pink flush rising in his cheeks.

"No, not at all," she replied, then allowed herself to be lifted into Yuan's arms and placed her arms around his neck as she had done for Kratos earlier that day.

"Kratos told you about Cruxis and the Desians, then?" he inquired, as Anna, for the second time that day, felt the ground fall away from her.

"Yes."

"So you know that I, unfortunately, am also a member of Cruxis?" She nodded.

"Good, this will make things a lot easier to explain."

They hadn't been traveling that long when they landed next to a dome like building nestled between two steep cliffs.

"Here we are," Yuan said, gently placing Anna on her feet.

"Welcome back, Lord Yuan," greeted one of the guards as they entered. Anna shot a fearful look up at Yuan as they passed. He gave her a somewhat bemused look before saying, "Don't worry, they're not Desians."

"What are they?" she asked looking around at the strangely illuminated corridor that strongly reminded her of the Asgard human ranch.

"They're Renegades," he told her, nodding to a passing guard, "We're an underground resistance force dedicated to fighting the Cruxis." At this Anna looked up at him in surprise.

"Why?"

"Kratos told you about the true reason for the World Regeneration ritual, didn't he?"

"Yes, but I wouldn't have thought that you'd be against the resurrection of Martel." Yuan gave a bitter smile.

"He told you about that, did he? Well, you'd be too if you knew what kind of Hell she's in now."—Anna made a mental note to ask Kratos about that, not wanting to press the matter on Yuan—"And it's not just that, Mithos is slowly killing the worlds by keeping Martel imprisoned in the Great Seed and not allowing it to germinate." At this they entered a room that was furnished to be an office. A desk stood in the center of the room, bookshelves lined the walls, and columns stood in various positions around the room. Behind the desk was a large painting that looked as if it was from the Kharlan war. Upon their entrance the half-elf sitting behind the desk rose and approached them.

"Lord Yuan? We were not expecting your return so soon."

"It matters not, Botta," he addressed the man, allowing a small smirk to touch his features, "this is Anna." Botta stared for a second, then recovering, smiled to himself.

"I've heard much about you, and your exsphere," he commented, allowing his eyes to rest momentarily on the jewel glistening beneath her neck. Instinctively her hand went protectively to the gem, and she shot a look at Yuan.

"Don't worry," Yuan said soothingly, "we're just trying to help you." He strode over to the desk and took a seat in the chair that Botta had just vacated. He gestured at the one across from him, and Anna perched herself on the edge of the chair.

"Anna, have you…" he broke off, studying her face, "have you been crying?"

"I…yes. Yes I have." Yuan gave her a bewildered look, then glanced at Botta whose face bore a matching expression.

"But, I thought that…I mean, Kratos told me that you couldn't cry." She raised and eyebrow at him. When the hell did Kratos tell him that? Her name was the same in the Angelic language as it was in the common one, and not once had she heard her name or the word for "woman" or "girl."

"Oh, well I couldn't, I didn't think so anyway, but apparently I can now."

"Has anything unusual happened since the last time you were upset?"—She opened her mouth to speak—"I mean besides everything Kratos just told you." She closed it again and furrowed her eyebrows, deep in thought.

"Oh! Got it!" she declared, a look of triumph lighting up her face. She fingered the gem that rested upon her chest, "Is there something different about my exsphere?" Yuan looked at it, perplexed, then the look of dawning comprehension reached his brow, and a grin spread across his face.

"Yes," he confirmed, "the false Key Crest is missing." He and Botta exchanged a smug grin.

"What does that mean?" she asked apprehensively, remembering what Kratos had told her about lifeless beings.

"It means…" he paused as though wondering how much he ought to tell her, "It means that you are no longer losing your emotions. In fact, it would seem that they have returned.

"Oh." Silence descended upon them during which Anna observed Yuan suspiciously, who refused to make eye contact and instead was twirling a pen in his fingers as if it was his blade.

"Have you had anything to eat?" Yuan asked, changing the subject.

"No," Anna replied, realizing for the first time how hungry she was, now that she had recovered from the initial shock, and things were starting to make a little more sense in her mind.

"Well then, I'll take you to the dining room in just a second, and then we'll take you back to Kratos, who is probably looking for you as we speak."

"You think so?" She asked skeptically, trying to mask the hope in her voice.

"I'm sure of it. Kratos takes his jobs very seriously."

"Oh. I see," she replied, a hint of disappointment in her tone.

"Well then, if you don't mind stepping out for a minute, I'll be out shortly to take you to the kitchen." Anna rose and with one last curious glance at the two half-elves, left the room.

"Well, sir, it would seem that you were right about the girl's exsphere," Botta commented, once the door had closed itself again.

"Yes, but that's not necessarily something to celebrate. If the information about the false key crest was valid then that means that there's a greater chance that the other information is correct as well. This means that at all costs we must not let Yggdrasil get a hold of that exsphere."

"Indeed, should we send some men to keep an eye on her?"

"No, I believe she will be safe if we return her to Kratos. I doubt he will lose her again. Although, I'd feel much better about this whole thing if he would just leave her in Iselia."

"He won't change his mind, sir. You know how stubborn he can be."

"Oh, I know all too well," Yuan replied with a scowl, "at any rate, I'll make sure to inform Kratos of our findings and then, if he chooses, he can disclose them to Anna." At this the door suddenly opened revealing a startled looking Anna.

"The beauty of automatic doors," Yuan said offhandedly, "they open if anyone gets close enough to eavesdrop."

"I wasn't eavesdropping," Anna said, blushing.

"Of course you weren't," Yuan said, sounding bored, "here, I'll get you something to eat."

The kitchen was devoid of life except for Yuan and Anna. Anna leaned against the counter next to Yuan who was in the middle of preparing a small portion of risotto for the girl and himself. Glancing up at her he was startled to see that tears were once again running down her cheeks.

"What's wrong?" he inquired.

"I don't know," she replied, wiping her eyes with the palm of her hand, "But I can't stop." She smiled through the tears.

"I'm sure it's nothing to worry about. This is probably just a release of all the sadness that your body has been bottling up for the past years," he said as warmly as he could.

"I'm not sure it works like that," Anna said through a sniff.

"Neither am I," Yuan replied with a small laugh, "But I'm sure that you'll feel better for it once you're done."

The two sat down to their late dinner in Yuan's office. Anna's tears had ostensibly abated while they ate, talking nonchalantly about this and that. Anna found Yuan's company to be very enjoyable; she felt that she could confide in him.

"Yuan," she started softly placing her fork down and looking up at him across the desk.

"Yes?"

"Do you think Kratos will still let me travel with him?" Yuan smiled at her.

"That stubborn fool, of course he will. He's probably beating himself up right now wondering where you are." Anna stared at him in shock, but Yuan replied to her gaze saying, "Don't worry about him, he'll be okay. Where did you lose him?"

"In Ossa Trail. We stopped, and he was telling me his story. We were ambushed. I…I killed one of them, then fled. I don't know what happened to Kratos." She looked away, ashamed.

"Don't feel bad, Anna," Yuan said comfortingly, "Kratos isn't a child, he can take care of himself."

"I sure hope so." Yuan smirked.

"When you're finished, I'll take you back to Izoold, and if he's not there, then we'll go look for him in Ossa trail." She nodded, and picking up her fork, resumed her meal.

* * *

By the time she and Yuan had landed on the outskirts of Izoold, Anna was sure that she should finally be used to the bizarre sensation of flight. Her tears from earlier had been replaced by the rain drops that were now falling from the sky. The rush of warmth and relief she had felt when she had met back up with Kratos was enough to bring a fresh wave of tears to her eyes. 

She stopped her thoughts suddenly. Kratos? Kratos Aurion? This was the man who brought her the most comfort after all she had been through? Not Yuan, but Kratos?—Kratos didn't know about the Renegades, or if he did, he didn't know that Yuan was in charge. She sighed as she realized that another weight had been placed on her shoulders. No matter what happened there would always be one secret that she would have to keep from him.

There was a rustle of blankets from the other room, making Anna jump as though she were a child, caught in the act of doing something she wasn't supposed to do, but she quickly relaxed as she realized that it was merely Kratos rousing himself from a well needed sleep. He stumbled into the room, yawning and rubbing his eye with the heel of his hand.

"'Morning," he muttered, shuffling over to reheat the water Anna had boiled for her tea, "Are you feeling better?"

"Yes, thank you," she replied, smiling warmly, not quite sure why she felt the need to be so formal. He smiled politely back at her, as an awkward silence fell across them. Anna turned her head away to hide a slight pinkness that was rising in her cheeks.

"Have you eaten anything?" Kratos asked, breaking the silence.

"No, but I think I'll be okay. It will be lunch time soon anyway." He nodded, then returned his attention back to the boiling kettle. Anna sat patiently in silence while Kratos made his tea. He came over and sat in an arm chair opposite her, neither mad eye contact for a few moments, the finally, Kratos decided to tackle the matter that was lingering in both of their minds.

"Anna"—she looked up at him—"I'd just like to apologize for last night…"—He paused, then continued, "You shouldn't have come back, you should've let Yuan take you to Iselia."

She opened her mouth to retort indignantly; however, Kratos cut her off, "But I'm glad you did." Anna stared at him in amazement as he allowed a very uncharacteristically sheepish grin intrude upon his usually stolid features for a moment. She grinned in return before saying, "Did you really think that I would leave you alone to fend for yourself?" then laughed at the bewildered look that crossed his face, but her smile quickly vanished as she stared down into her mug.

"But in all seriousness, I never though of coming anywhere else; somehow you being an angel didn't seem to bother me."

"Well, all that matters is that you're safe. Thank the gods that Yuan found you." She nodded.

"That reminds me, Yuan wanted to talk to you."

"Oh?" She nodded.

"I think he said he's staying at the inn."

"I see, well, then I suppose I should pay him a visit later," a note of curiosity in his voice, "In the mean time we should make plans to leave Izoold, no doubt the Desians will be back to look for us." Anna nodded.

"Where will we go next?" she asked.

"I think we should go to Palmacoasta, then head up to Asgard of Luin."

"That's fine with me," she glanced out the window then stood up, stretching, "I think I'm going to go for a walk right after a have a bit of lunch." Kratos looked up at her then moved his gaze to the window.

"Would you mind if I accompanied you?"

"To keep an eye on me?" she asked suspiciously.

"No," he replied, slightly taken aback, "to keep you company." She smiled warmly at him.

"Of course you may."

The beach was deserted except for the two walkers and the odd seagull. Ship's sails were visible on the horizon, and the waves came and went smoothly, despite the cloudy, grey skies. Two pairs of shoes, one set considerably smaller than the other, were left abandoned by the steps leading down to the beach, and a trail of foot prints in the wet sand led to where the two figures were ambling slowly down the beach.

Anna paused for a moment, then bent over and picked up a small, smooth, flat stone. Kratos watched as she turned to the ocean and sent the stone skipping across the waves; he smiled seeing the progress that had been made. Her beaming face looked to his for approval, then she reached for another stone.

"Here, this one's for you," she told him, and Kratos reached out his hand to accept the stone, as he did Anna placed her small hand over his and he felt the cool, smooth stone drop into his palm. She brought her other hand up to clasp his; shyly she looked up into his face. Kratos felt a strange warmth rise into his chest as their eyes met, and a strange force seemed to compel him to lean in slightly, to bring his face closer to hers. At that moment Anna stood on her tip toes and gently kissed him.

When she pulled away her cheeks were flushed pink and she looked away towards the ocean, trying to conceal her grin.

"You should probably go visit Yuan," she suggested, rubbing her arms nervously. Kratos stared at her for a moment, mouth open, and still in shock, before he pulled himself together and replied.

"Yes. Are you coming?"

"No, I'm going to the house; I'm still a bit tired. Don't worry, I'll be fine."

"I see." The two retreated to the spot where they had left their shoes. Each took their respective pair and once their backs were towards each other, they both finally allowed an enormous grin spread across their face.

* * *

Kratos was still smiling to himself when he reached the inn. 

"You look happy," Yuan commented, the only one in the room besides Kratos.

"Do I?" he asked.

"Yes…" Yuan replied with a slightly suspicious air.

"You wanted to talk?" Kratos asked, not abandoning the part of him that detested small talk.

"Yes. It's about Anna." At this Kratos' ears perked up.

"What about Anna?" he asked with a slight growl. Yuan sat down in a small wooden chair beside a table and gestured for Kratos to do the same. Once both were seated Yuan replied, "Her exsphere… I've been doing some research on the Angelus project and you're not going to like what I've found. It would seem that the false key crest was causing her to lose her emotions. Eventually she would have become completely lifeless, and she would have stopped aging, and finally, it would have killed her…"

"But her emotions have come back…" Kratos protested, "So she's okay now, right?"

"Unfortunately not. Don't forget that the exsphere is still there and now has no key crest whatsoever. The false one was in fact, only slowing down the parasitic process, meaning its now gone back to a much faster pace."

"Isn't there anything we can do?" Kratos asked, shifting uncomfortably in his chair. Yuan shrugged.

"Unless we can get her a real key crest, then its hopeless." Kratos looked away.

"How long do you think it will take before the parasitic process is finished?" Yuan sighed and shrugged again.

"Kratos…to be honest I don't know. It could be tomorrow, it could be fifty years from now. It's hard to say. The best thing to do is just to try to find a cure."

"What am I going to do?" Kratos asked, more to himself than Yuan.

"The best thing you can do right now is just forget about her. Move on, it will save you a lot of grief and heartache later on." Kratos slammed his fist onto the table.

"I can't do that!" There was a sudden silence after his uncharacteristic outburst. Yuan stared at him with the same serious expression, but Kratos could see a triumphant smile reflected through his eyes.

"Then I suggest you make the most of the time that you have left with her." Yuan's voice had an icy air about it, but it quickly disappeared in the next sentence, "Speaking of time, you need a plan, Kratos. I can't have you drifting around the world doing nothing. Do you still plan to take a stand against Mithos?" Kratos' signature stoic expression had returned to his visage.

"Yes, I have given it a bit of thought." A smirk tugged at the corners of Yuan's mouth before he replied, "Good. Now, I think that the best way for you to go about it would be to find away for you to wield the Eternal Sword." Kratos nodded.

"I had considered that. But that would possibly require us to travel to Tethe'alla at some point, and Anna and I don't exactly have access to the Tower of Salvation." At this Yuan grinned.

"No, you don't. But you do have access to the Otherworldly Gate." Kratos raised his eyebrows at him, and asked with a hint of doubt, "You got Mithos to tell you were the Sylvarant side is?"

"No, but I'm pretty sure I know where it is, and its much more concealed than the Tethe'alla one."

"Where is it?"

"Close to Palmacoasta, but I'm still looking into it."

"I see…"

"Look, Kratos, I haven't told Anna, anything about her exsphere, if you want to fill her in on that, then that's up to you." Kratos nodded, then shifted his gaze out the window. Yuan, slightly regretting brining up Anna again, quickly changed the subject, "So, I suggest checking Asgard for information on the Eternal Sword…if there's nothing in about it in the ruins, then I suggest you check the Mausoleum." Kratos nodded, brining himself back down to earth.

Their conversation lasted until about two hours before midnight, discussing plans and ideas for the near future, with a pause for a quick dinner. When Kratos opened the door to the little house that he and Anna had rented, he found her curled up in one of the armchairs and fast asleep. He smiled softly to himself at the sight of her. He quietly approached her and lifted her gently into his arms. Carrying her though to the bedroom, he noticed the remains of a solitary dinner sitting on the counter and a pang of guilt shot through him. The candle that had been lighting the room had nearly burned out, and was dripping wax onto the table. He carefully placed her on her bed; however, despite his care, she stirred slightly, and opened her eyes half way.

"You're back…" she commented groggily, closing her eyes again "…I'm glad…" He smiled to himself, but did not reply. Instead he placed a kiss on her forehead; she smiled and rolled over, pulling the blankets up further. Kratos couldn't help but grin. It was good to be alive.

**A/N: I hope you liked it. Please review! That would make me happy. And hopefully I'll have chapter 11 out soon!**

**Linkite**


	11. Angel's Crossing

**A/N: Wow. This is the part where I once again apologize for not having updated in for-ev-er. But here's the good news! I'm not dead and I do plan on finishing this fic! Thank you so much to Crazybout Tos, Lord Yuan, KratosManiac, MindTricks, Sesshomarubaby18, ToastyFrigginFresh, & Ethereal Thoughts. Maybe some of you will be kind enough to review again? (PS I've decided to stop whining about horrible titles and allow you to assume that they're all going to be bad.)**

**Angel's Crossing**

The two strolled side by side, hand in hand, Anna laughing and talking about this and that, and Kratos wearing an expression of pure contentment, listening to her babble. Summer had ended and the first few months of autumn had slipped away; it was nearly a year now that Kratos and Anna had been traveling together. A change had come over Kratos, though it was nearly imperceptible to most people, it was glaringly obvious to the likes of Yuan. His eyes once dull and lost to the tedium of his existence were now bright and full of an eagerness to live, to feel, to be.

They were traveling with the intention of meeting Yuan in Asgard to discuss his plans to send them to Tethe'alla on their quest to find a way for a human to wield the Eternal Sword. Their time had been spent since leaving Isoold searching for clues and instructions that might help them defeat Mithos. Sylvarant, it seemed, was devoid of any legend about such power, and they were beginning to suspect that they would need the Royal Academy's recourses to find anything. Anna was thoroughly excited by the prospect of a journey to this new world. Kratos had filled her with stories of the prospering world and its wonders, while in return she told him about her childhood, life at a human ranch, and how she had made her escape. Both felt that they were getting the better deal out of this exchange.

Upon arrival in Asgard they broke from routine and headed straight to the most expensive inn where Yuan would be waiting for them. He was sitting patiently in the lobby, and appeared to be lost in thought; however, at the sound of the opening door he snapped to attention and rose to greet them. He nodded to Kratos, then hugged Anna and said, "Hello, Anna, how are you?"

"Never better," was her usual reply.

"Well, in that case," said Yuan, smiling at her, "My room's upstairs. We'll talk there." One thing Anna had noticed about Kratos and Yuan was that they rarely actually greeted each other. It was as if little or no time passed between their visits; like two inhabitants of a single house who have no need to greet each other every time they see one another in a different room.

Yuan closed the door behind them, and after ensuring that it was locked, joined them around a small table.

"Okay, we've worked it out and tested it," Yuan began, "Sylvarant's Otherworldly Gate is just outside of Palmacoasta and made up of a small ring of trees. Unlike Tethe'alla's Gate, which is active only during the full moon, Sylvarant's gate is only open during the new moon. This means that unless you can wield the Eternal Sword in two weeks you will probably be there for at least six weeks. Now, although you won't have to worry about Desians in Tethe'alla, you won't be completely safe. Once Mithos finds out you are there, and he will find out, you will have the church looking for you, which brings me to my next point." Yuan rose and walked over to the base of the bed where a large trunk sat. Lifting the lid, he revealed neatly folded clothing. He removed four outfits and laid them on the bed. Anna and Kratos joined him by the bed to view the clothing.

"I suggest that you go to Meltokio first, that way you can speak to the Chosen's family without the persecution of the church. I've picked out clothes of the upper middle class. I think that they will be the safest." Anna's dress was long, and more ornate than any dress she had ever seen before.

"I get to wear that?" she asked in awed amazement.

"Yes, do you like it?" Yuan inquired.

"It's beautiful!" The fabrics were sewn in a somewhat simple fashion, though the sea foam green and light yellow colors overlapped to form a more ornate appearance. For Kratos, Yuan had chosen a navy blue number with crème colored pants.

"Okay, these should be okay until they realize you're in Tethe'alla. After that you'll wear these." Yuan gestured to two sets of church vestments.

"You'll play the role of traveling priest and his trainee. If anyone requests your services, Kratos can deal with them and Anna, you can pretend to be 'merely' observing."

"But can Kratos pass as a priest?" Anna asked with some uncertainty. Kratos gave her an exasperated look.

"Anna. Who do you think wrote the Book of Martel?" Anna flushed.

"Right. I forgot."

Yuan continued, "Now you're not going to want to stay long. The Church has a stranglehold on the people of Tethe'alla. People will be a lot less willing to help when threatened with eternal damnation. " Kratos nodded.

"When will we leave?" he asked.

"Tomorrow night. If you leave here tomorrow morning with Noishe, you should arrive in the evening. I will meet you there."

"What if we're attacked?"

"I doubt that will happen; however, just in case, I have made contact with the Renegades. They are willing to form a truce in order to escort you to Tethe'alla.

Anna sat quietly listening to the two men hammering out details. They were so meticulous. So careful not to leave any possibility for error. All apprehension was dispelled from her mind and she was left with only excited butterflies in her stomach. Her thoughts of Tethe'alla soon enveloped her whole attention, until the mention of her name brought her abruptly back to Sylvarant.

"...Anna will have to be carried. It's too dangerous to use any other form of transportation to get to the mainland. Unless we use rheairds, but that's a little unreasonable. Is that okay with you?" Yuan was now addressing Anna directly.

"Sure," she replied. Not quite knowing what she was agreeing to, but since Kratos' look was unconcerned, she was not worried.

"It's settled then. I will take my leave. I purchased this room for the night. You may have it if you wish," Yuan said, as he stood up.

"Thank you, Yuan." said Anna, rising to give him a hug, "we'll see you tomorrow, then." He nodded and shut the door behind him.

The next day was a long time coming as far as Anna was concerned. Her excitement merely mounted as the day progressed. The distance between Asgard and Palmacoasta seemed much longer than usual.

The sun was setting just as they reached the clearing where Yuan and a couple of Renegades stood.

"Excellent timing," commented Yuan, glancing at the sky, "are you ready?"

"Yes, I believe so," said Kratos, dismounting Noishe, then turning to help Anna do the same.

"Good. It will be safe to rest here until midnight. The Renegades and I will stand guard, though I don't think we have anything to worry about.

Kratos and Anna lay in their sleeping bags near a campfire that had been prepared by the Renegades. They and Yuan were nowhere in sight.

"Hey, Kratos?" Anna asked.

"Yes, Anna?"

"There's been something I've been meaning to ask you. About you and Yuan."--She paused. Kratos did not respond so she continued--"How come you and Yuan have different colored wings?" Kratos smiled to himself at this.

"It's because we have different mana signatures... Yuan can explain it better than I can... Think of them as physical representations of the soul. Half-elves and elves can read them and understand them better than we can, but what I understand from Yuan, is that they change as we change. If I had had wings as a child, the color would have changed many times before they settled on the color they are now. However once one gets to be about twenty-five, the colors start leveling off and generally stays the same for the rest of one's life... Unless something happens."

"Something happens..." Anna repeated.

"Yes. For instance, when we first became angels, my wings were blue like they are now, Mithos' were multicolored, Martel's were pink with a touch of purple, and Yuan's were green... but then when Martel died, both Yuan and Mithos' wings became the same color as hers. When Mithos reverts back to an age that was before her death, they become multicolored again."

Anna thought about this. Thought about the pinkish-purple glow that had saved her in the desert and shivered.

"He loved her very much, didn't he?"

"Yes. He did." She wrapped the blanket tighter around her, as a great wave of pity swelled in her. She didn't want to know how he felt, couldn't imagine what it would be like if something happened to Kratos.

The next thing Anna knew, Kratos was gently shaking her shoulder.

"Anna, wake up. It's almost midnight." All of their things were packed up. Each of them took a bag. Anna said good-bye to Noishe who would stay in case someone in Tethe'alla recognized him for what he was, and then she, Kratos, and Yuan approached the center of the ring of trees.

The sky was clear, stars shone brilliantly in the heavens, but the moon seemed to have disappeared from the sky.

"Okay," Yuan said, "Get ready. It may feel a little strange." Suddenly an odd light appeared. Anna clutched Kratos, burring her face in his chest, and shutting her eyes. There was a sudden blast of cool air then the next thing she knew; she was opening her eyes in the blinding light of a warm Tethe'allan afternoon.

Anna stared out across the ocean; the wind whipped through her hair, catching it and tossing it carelessly about. They had appeared on a small island bedecked with large stone pillars. The waves crashed against the rock, and the smell of salt was thick in the air.

"Welcome to Tethe'alla," Kratos murmured in her ear, so as to be heard over the sound of the water. She turned and smiled at him, in doing so she caught sight of the Tower of Salvation, which extended into the air far beyond her sight.

"Oh my, goddess," she breathed, practically bending backwards trying to see it's top, "Is that the Tower of Salvation?"

"Yes," Kratos said following her gaze to the giant construction.

"Wow! I never imagined that it could possibly be so tall!"

"That's right, it stretches all the way up to Derris-Kharlan," Yuan said, shielding his eyes from the sun and looking in the general direction of the comet.

"The one in Sylvarant is just the same," Kratos added.

"Are you two ready?" Yuan asked. Anna and Kratos exchanged a glance.

"Yes," he said. Yuan gathered the bags that the other two held and Kratos scooped Anna easily into his arms.

The view of Tethe'alla from the air was incredible, though, Anna was slightly disappointed to note that they were heading away from the land and out across the ocean.

"Aren't you worried that we'll be seen?" Anna asked Kratos.

"No, this is an inconvenient passage for ships, you see that land mass up there?"

"Yes."

"That entire side of the continent is nothing but a long mountain range. There are no ports over here."

"We're also rather close to Flanoir. That area is very dangerous for ships," Yuan added.

When they had cleared the mountains, Anna caught her first sight of Meltokio and gasped. It was so much more magnificent than she had ever imagined.

"Goddess." She whispered, staring.

The trio landed in a wooded area not far from the walls of the city. Kratos and Anna would have to change before they entered the city. They went in different directions to change. Kratos came back in a slightly grumpier mood: he hated having to wear weird clothes. However, his displeasure at his attire soon evaporated when Anna emerged from the undergrowth, wearing the dress Yuan had supplied for her. In his slightly biased opinion, she was gorgeous. She had pulled her hair back in a low ponytail, with a few shorter strands of hair, hanging loosely beside her face.

"That bad, huh?"

"No." Kratos replied flatly, "You look nice." She grinned back.

"Well, this is as far as I go," declared Yuan, depositing the bags on the ground, "good luck, you two."

"Thank you, Yuan," Anna said, wrapping an arm around Kratos' waist and leaning up against him.

"No problem," he said with a smile, and then vanished into the woods.

Kratos led Anna around the walls to the gates of the city. Anna was in complete awe. She had never seen anything so magnificent. The colors were so vibrant and the clothes of the people they passed by were more extravagant than anything she had ever seen before. Just when she thought she had grown accustomed to the grandeurs around her, she caught sight of the Meltokio Castle, and froze on the steps.

"Dear goddess" she breathed, gaping at the construction, "Is that the castle? Didn't you say you used to live there?" Kratos smiled softly at her reaction.

"Yes, for a time. It may look big, but there are a lot of people living there, it's not just the royal family." He led her down a side street to the Chosen's house, which, as far as magnificence goes, was only second to the castle. The enormous buildings to either side of it paled in comparison. The manor was encompassed a stone fence that surrounded the lavish gardens. The two walked down the path to the grand doors. A butler opened the door; he seemed quite startled to see Kratos standing there.

"Lord Aurion, we weren't expecting you..."

"No. Sorry for our sudden intrusion. Is the Chosen home?"

"Yes, of course, come in."—Kratos and Anna entered the manor—"Please wait here while I send for him."

"Lord Kratos?" a beautiful blonde woman addressed Kratos. Her appearance was fitting of one who lived in such a house. Her face radiated with a natural beauty, her features seemed to be perfectly proportioned, with her lithe figure slipping smoothly into a very flattering, ornate, azure dress.

"Lady Wilder, I hope you are well," Kratos replied.

"Quite," she responded politely. The woman's cyan eyes darted swiftly at Anna before returning to Kratos.

"Forgive me," Kratos said turning to Anna, "This is my very dear friend, Anna"

"I see,"—she gave the two a knowing look—"I'm pleased to meet you Anna. Please, call me Mylene. I don't want you to worry about Lord Kratos' old fashioned chivalry." Anna nodded timidly. Kratos looked as if he were about to retort, when the door on the North wall under the stairs opened. A maid clad in a blue uniform entered the room, carrying a small red-headed child, who looked to be no older than two, if that at all.

"Thank you, Catherine," said Mylene, taking the child and dismissing the maid, who bowed slightly and left the room.

"Lord Kratos, Anna, this is the new Chosen, Zelos Wilder... my son." She spoke the last two words almost reluctantly. Zelos buried his face into his mother's shoulder, obviously shy, but Mylene took no notice.

"Of course," Kratos said, "I forgot. The new Chosen... Lady Wilder is your husband home." At his words Mylene pursed her lips into a cold, hard line, and when she spoke, her tone was like ice.

"He is upstairs. Shall I send for him?"

"No, do not trouble yourself, do you mind if I go find him?" Kratos asked.

"Of course not. Make yourself at home." He nodded and ascended the grand staircase to the second floor. Mylene set her son on the ground and turned to Anna, who noticed that the boy still clung to his mother's dress. There was a pause as the two watched Kratos leave, until Mylene (the trained hostess) started conversation.

"How are you liking Meltokio?" Mylene inquired.

"Oh, it's very nice. I mean, we just got here, but, well, its very beautiful," Anna responded, but it was hard not to take her eyes off the child, who stared right back at Anna with his big blue eyes. Mylene fixed an odd smile on her face.

"He looks just like his father," she commented off-handedly glancing at her son who was doing his best to disappear into the folds of Mylene's dress. Another silence.

"Now, where are you from? I've never seen you around Meltokio before."

"I'm from Ozette," Anna replied as instructed by Kratos and Yuan.

"Oh,"—Mylene frowned slightly—"Meltokio must seem quite grand to you then."

"Yes, I've never seen anything quite like it." Anna was spared from any more small talk with Mylene because at that moment Kratos reentered the room, accompanied by a man who could only be the former Chosen. He wore the richest suit Anna had ever seen: it was mostly black and white, but was accented by gold embellishments.

It was impossible not to mistake him for the young boy's father. His hair was bright red and pulled back tightly into a ponytail. His hair was straight, but Anna suspected that this quality might have been an artificial one due to the few strands that had managed to wave themselves again. His facial qualities were mostly the same, but his eyes were slightly greener than his son's.

Mylene's face turned to stone upon the entrance of her husband.

"Hello, my Dear," he greeted his wife. His voice was charming, but when he spoke to Mylene his voice had an almost sarcastic quality to it. Mylene nodded in response.

"This is, Anna, Lord Kratos' friend." Mylene introduced her to the former Chosen. He turned to Anna, and gave her a winsome smile.

"Pleased to make your acquaintance," the once Chosen said, taking Anna's hand and kissing it gently. She blushed, and glanced at Kratos, whose frown matched Mylene's, "Kratos tells me that you just arrived in Meltokio today."

"Yes, it really is a fantastic city," she reassured again, edging towards Kratos.

"Where are you staying?" Mylene asked. Kratos and Anna glanced at each other.

"No where right now," Kratos told her, "But I'm sure there is room at the local inn for us."

"Don't be silly," Mylene insisted, "We have plenty of space. Lord Kratos and his guests are always welcome."

"Perhaps you would like to join us for the spring ball we're hosting tonight?" Lord Wilder invited.

"That sounds lovely," Anna said excitedly, "But we have nothing to wear." Mylene smiled at her enthusiasm.

"That's not a problem," she told her, "We have tailors on hand that can make something for you." Anna grinned eagerly at Kratos.

"We appreciate your generosity," Kratos started, "but I'm not sure that it is in your best interests if you house us right now. We've run into a little... misunderstanding with the church."

"Lord Kratos, seriously," Lord Wilder replied, "We're the Chosen's family, do you really think that the Pope is going to try and give us any trouble?" Kratos was silent for a moment, weighing the pros and cons of the situation, knowing that the Chosen's protection was something that he didn't want to pass up.

"You're right, Lord Wilder. Anna and I would be very grateful to stay here. Just know that it won't be for long." Mylene nodded.

"I'll inform the staff to prepare a room for you," she said, then called the maid, "Catherine, would you show our guests to their room." –Room. Singular, Anna thought and glanced at Kratos again, whose face was unphased. Catherine escorted Anna and Kratos upstairs to the guest bedroom on the landing. Anna was thrilled. The room was more gorgeous and luxurious than anything she had ever stayed in. There was one huge bed against the North wall, table and chairs were set up in an inviting manner by the back window, and there was even a small sitting area.

Anna found herself quite unaccustomed to the service she and Kratos were given. After lunch, which had been served almost immediately despite the additional numbers, Anna tried to clean up her own plate instead of leaving it for the half-elves which only confirmed the Wilder's suspicions about the status of people from Ozette.

Just after lunch a small group of half-elf tailors came to fit Anna and Kratos for their formal wear for the evening. They spent the rest of the afternoon touring the streets of Meltokio; they eventually had to head to the slums so that Kratos could show Anna that the flourishing world was not perfect.

By that evening Anna and Kratos' clothes were ready for the ball. A pair of half-elf servants whisked Anna into a guest changing room where she was dressed. She was shocked at the amount of work that the half-elves did, and how little they were appreciated for it, and she was astonished to learn about the status that they held in Tethe'alla.

Kratos on the other hand refused the help of the half-elves, feeling quite capable of being able to dress himself, and feeling no need for anyone to do his hair. Lying over one of the chairs in his and Anna's room was a pair of crisp, white trousers, a black waistcoat, a teal button-down, collared shirt, a royal blue tie, and (he thought) as if he needed any more clothes, a blue jacket, complete with coat tails, whose accent's matched his tie. A pair of black shoes sat beside what he felt was an excessive amount of clothing.

Having dressed himself he went downstairs to wait for Anna and the Wilders. Lord Wilder was the next to appear. His appearance seemed very much unchanged. It looked as though he had changed clothes, but it was hard to tell with Lord Wilder. Anna and Mylene appeared at the same time, and despite the fact that Mylene's ornate red dress was much more flashy, and that, objectively, she was probably the more prepossessing of the two, Kratos could not keep his eyes off of Anna.

Anna's outfit was the same colors of blue that his was, and seeing it on her, it was clear where the tailor's had gotten their inspiration. Her dress perfectly matched the azure shades of her exsphere. The dress itself was very simple (especially compared to Mylene's). A darker blue ribbon strapped around her neck, crossed just over the point where her exsphere was, before going all the way around the top of the dress. From the point underneath the ribbon, to her waist, the dress was teal, like Kratos' button-down shirt. The skirt part of the dress flowed out and was the same color as the ribbon. Anna's hair was pulled back out of her face with two small matching clips. She approached Kratos, beaming.

"We match," he muttered to her, somewhat horrified; she grinned and nodded.

"You look gorgeous," he told her. Her grin widened.

"Not quite as good as you though," she replied, and Kratos shook his head.

"You guys ready?" Lord Wilder asked, standing beside his wife. Kratos nodded, and offered Anna his arm (which she took).

Anna had never seen so many people at a dance. People wore dresses in every shade imaginable, and of course, all of them turned and stared when the Wilders entered the room. Kratos was pleased to see that Anna was not self-conscious about the scars on her back (souvenirs from the human ranch) as she had once been.

Although they couldn't help but dance at least a few times (fortunately Kratos led seeing as Anna was both unfamiliar with the dances and not exactly the most coordinated person in the room), Anna was content just to stand on the outskirts of the dance floor and watch the other guests. A good-sized group of girls had begun to form, all of them eyeing Kratos, and hoping that he was getting bored with his partner. No such luck.

"It really is very beautiful," Anna commented watching another couple swirl by them. Kratos had to lean over and speak in Anna's ear in order to be heard over the musicians, "Come with me, I know a place where you can get a really good view." She took his hand and he led her upstairs to a balcony that overlooked the ballroom, and continued outside, giving a wonderful view into the gardens.

"Wow, I never would even have known something like this existed," she breathed, doing her best to take everything in. Kratos smiled to himself, watching her face, and her eyes wandering across the ballroom floor, noting that Mylene and Lord Wilder were on opposite ends of the dance floor talking to other people. In the eyes of people such as the Wilders, Anna and Kratos might have been considered "simple," but as far as they were concerned they were both happy to blend into the background together.

Suddenly there was a loud bang that caused Anna to jump and give Kratos a fearful look. A second bang followed shortly after, at which point Anna buried her face in Kratos' chest, fearing for her life. Kratos couldn't help but chuckle to himself.

"It's okay," he told her, "look." He led her across the balcony so that she could see the sky outside. She gasped, eyes wide as she stared up at the sky above them.

"What are they?" she asked in amazement.

"Fireworks," Kratos told her.

"Fireworks…" She repeated, as the sky was illuminated crimson for a second. Some of the guests had started making their way onto the lawn to watch the display.

"Hey Kratos."

"Hm?"

"I love you." He pulled her closer. How did one reply to that? He wracked his brain. Surely one does not simply say "I love you too" to the girl who gives meaning to your existence, who occupies your thoughts ninety-eight percent of the time, who somehow no matter how wrong you are for her sticks with you anyway. Somehow those four words didn't seem quite right.

Before he could say anything Anna was laughing.

"You don't have to say anything. I know you love me too." He leaned over and kissed her. When he pulled away, he held her shoulders gently and stared into her eyes.

"I do," he told her softly, "I love you."

Upon their arrival home, Kratos and Lord Wilder decided to head to the castle to see if the royal library had anything that could help Kratos and Anna on their quest, thinking they would probably be the only ones there at this time.

Anna started going up the stairs, but Mylene called to her.

"Anna. Would you mind waiting for a second. I'd like a word." Confused, Anna turned and followed Mylene into the back gardens.

They stood along the rose-covered walls in silence; the sound of a gently pattering fountain was the only other noise in the night.

"I know you do not think very highly of me," Mylene started abruptly, glancing over at Anna who was gazing without seeing at the flowers, "I've seen the way you look at me when I'm with my…family." Anna shot a startled look at Mylene who was still gazing at her. Mylene gave her a slight smile before continuing, "I know you'd never say anything about it. No, you're much too polite for that, and I appreciate it. I don't know. Maybe you're right to think that way.

"I never wanted this life. There are people who would kill to be in my position, and I know I should be grateful…but it's not that easy. I was born into the middle-class where I expected to stay for the rest of my life, and I was happy with that fact. I didn't want to be anything else.

"Then they announced that the Chosen would be married, not by class, but by blood or something. I didn't really understand. Of course as you can imagine, there was great excitement. The Great Chosen would finally promise himself to just _one _woman. All of my friends wanted to be his wife, but not me. That wasn't how it was supposed to work. I was meant to fall in love, not have someone chosen for me because of status or something. All I wanted was to marry a man who loved me. I wouldn't be so lucky." Her words were bitter, and Anna was now staring at Mylene who was lost in thought.

"Then they announced that I had been selected to marry the Chosen. I was appalled. I couldn't imagine what I'd done to deserve this fate. And of course most of my friends… well I guess they weren't much of friends, stopped speaking to me out of pure jealously and resentment at the fact that I was not happy with what I'd been given. I feel completely alone sometimes."

"But what about your son? What about Zelos?" Anna asked. Mylene glanced at her.

"What about Zelos? Zelos is the reason I had to marry the Chosen to begin with."

"But, he's your son. Don't you love him?"

"Love him?"—She was thoughtful for a moment—"He looks just like his father… I don't know. Maybe I should. But every time I look at him I think about how he is the reason that I was forced to get married—now Anna, please, don't look at me like that, really don't think I haven't tried. But somehow I can't get those kind of thoughts out of my head."

"…I suppose it can't be easy for Zelos," Anna said after a second.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, the kind of life that's going to be thrust upon him. He has no choice at all but to be the Chosen." Mylene snorted.

"You've seen my husband. He's certainly be burdened by that title." It was impossible not to hear the sarcasm in her voice.

"No, I suppose he hasn't been…" She thought of the way that the Wilders had appeared that evening. They put on a show of a happily married couple, but it was so clear that they were not. It was really quite sad.

"Well, I appreciate you at least listening to me, even if it doesn't change your mind about the type of person I am. Kratos says that you're leaving tomorrow."

"Yes, if he finds the information that we're looking for."

"You are very lucky Anna. I envy you. It's not every day you find a man like Kratos Aurion."

"No, it's not." Anna agreed.

"He's very lucky too, you know. It's not everyday one finds a girl who would fall in love with a man like Kratos Aurion."—Mylene smiled at her—"Goodnight, Anna. I'm going to go ahead and turn in for the night."

"Goodnight," Anna returned, though she did not follow Mylene in. Instead she stayed in the garden taking in the thick scent of roses, waiting for Kratos to return.

**A/N: I hope you enjoyed it! Please read and review!**

**You might have noticed that this one seemed longer than the others. It is. I'm sorry. I will say that it underwent several different drafts. There was one version where they didn't go to Tethe'alla, one where for the first half Anna went on a long, dark, angsty story about her time spent at the human ranch (I'm trying to stay away from angst for now because it's inevitable that it end there later), and there was one that just got started and didn't seem to go anywhere. Anyway, the reason this is so long is that I really didn't want to cut the dance (because it's kinda cute and I like it) and I didn't want to cut the bit at the end with Mylene. I feel that her side of the story often isn't taken into consideration, and while I don't agree with her, I think her views needed to be voiced. And there you have it! I hope to have the next chapter finished soon.**

**-Linkite**


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